rainbow j class yacht

Rainbow, JKZ1

February 2012

Original lines: Starling Burgess / Modified design: Dykstra Naval Architects

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Rainbow was designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and launched in 2012. She raced regularly and successfully until the Rolex Maxi Yacht Cup in 2014 after which there has been a hiatus, even though she has cruised extensively. ‍ She has recently been sold to a well known Kiwi owner who has a long track record in both offshore and inshore sailing, winning many of the most coveted top awards with a big variety of designs of all sizes, especially Maxis. ‍ Rainbow has been refitted by Dykstra Naval Architects through the winter of 2022 and spring 2023, optimising the deck layout further with inboard tracks and bringing structured luff sails on stream.   ‍ Rainbow is said to be a very strong all round boat which is light relative to the other boats and smaller - 2m shorter than the bigger J’s - but is good in light airs, whilst being a stable boat and so goes well in the breeze as well.   ‍

The original Rainbow was designed by Starling Burgess for the 1934 America's Cup which she won 4-0 against Endeavour. The 1934 boats such as Rainbow were a big leap forwards from the 1930 boats with bigger, more powerful rigs and, many say, the nicest, truest hull shapes.  

She will be sailed by the owner-driver with Kiwi round the world racer and America’s Cup Erle Williams as skipper.

Length at waterline

displacement

upwind sail area

spinnaker sail area

2013 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

Rainbow 2nd

2014 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup

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J-Class Rainbow – 131′ -2012

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Built by the Dutch Masters at Holland Jachtbouw in 2012, RAINBOW is quite simply, the best of her breed.  One of the most recently launched J-Class reproductions, Dykstra Naval Architects developed RAINBOW from the original plans of this 1937 America’s Cup winner and smoothed her lines to modern hydrodynamic standards, optimized to the new J-Class Rule. Her engineering and construction created a modern classic, built with “cutting edge” technology, engineering and materials, from her “hybrid” diesel/electric drive and electrical system, to her high modulus spar, carbon rigging and electro-hydraulic sail and boat handling systems.

RAINBOW is a true “dual purpose” yacht, serving equally successfully as a “silver service” charter yacht for up to eight guests, or as a grand prix racing yacht of the highest caliber.  In cruising mode, the yacht has all attributes for easy operation; hydraulic sail handling, winches, thrusters, and a simple sail-plan. Her entertaining cockpit dresses for comfortable entertaining, lounging and dining, and her interior offers all amenities for gracious living aboard.  For racing, pulpits & lifelines are removed as all deck areas are stripped and streamlined for the efficiencies required at the absolute pinnacle of yacht racing.  RAINBOW’s record speaks for itself on both counts.

Specifications

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

J Class yacht Rainbow J/H2 – the Dutch destroyer

• February 8, 2015

'The wild card'

Replica of original Rainbow, designed by Starling Burgess in 1931 and hastily revisited for the 1934 America’s Cup Defence. Rainbow beat Endeavour, although she was acknowledged to be slower. Redesigned by Dykstra & Partners

Built: Holland Jachtbouw, launched 2012.

Identifying features: Black hull, gold cove, red bottom and anodised grey winches and deck fittings.

Rockstar rating: Owner/driver, but with experienced team plus Volvo and Olympic pros.

Odds: Promises much, but lacks on-water time.

“Rainbow is the one I’m most worried about,” admitted Endeavour’s skipper Simon Lacey before the J Class regatta in Falmouth in 2012. “We know our speed against the others – they’re the ones to watch.”

The wildcard. The newbie. The Dutch destroyer. Fresh out of the starting blocks at Holland Jachtbouw, with flush decks and mahogany doghouse, jet black aluminium hull with gold leaf cove, she looked the business, complete with Southern Spars high modulus rig and dressed in a spanking new suit of North 3Di and 3DL sails.

Rainbow is a hybrid superyacht. This is not easy when you consider her skinny beam and the fact that the original plans allowed no room for an engine. So WhisperPower were commissioned to devise a hybrid propulsion system so she can operate for silent periods on her lithium batteries alone.

Designer Jeroen de Vos is particularly happy with the efficient deckplan: “Setting sails fast and easily is key, picked up through evolution and experience – the hydraulic package has been very well thought through.” When we went aboard in 2012, she looked highly specced, with those hydraulic powered winches capable of pulling lines at 200m per minute!

While the experience of her skipper Nick Haley, who previously ran Windrose of Amsterdam and Athos, both also from the HJB yard, certainly counts, only launching a couple of months before the 2012 Falmouth regatta was Rainbow’s handicap.

The Americans were originally slow out of the starting blocks with Rainbow after three quiet seasons following the Wall Street crash. Starling Burgess already had the hull design after Sir Lipton had mooted a Challenge in 1931, which was dug out and Rainbow was built at Herreshoff’s yard in a record-breaking 100 days.

Long on the waterline (82ft) for the time, she was a fair competitor to Endeavour , with a similar shape, but Endeavour ’s drawn-out counter got the beauty nod. Scrapped in 1940, the original Rainbow was probably a slower boat than Endeavour , but she was better sailed. Will history repeat itself this summer?

Essential figures: Specs: LOA 39.96 m Beam:  6.37m Built in aluminium Draught: 4.8m Manufacturer: Holland Jachtbouw

Classic Yacht Register

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The Classic Yacht Register of Heritage is a database of the worlds Vintage, Classic and Grand Prix (Spirit of Tradition) sailboats. The Registry includes surviving, and destroyed vessels, and inclusion is either by vessel’s historical significance, invitation or request.

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J-class replica yacht Rainbow launched at Holland Jachtbouw

A sense of history being made was in the air at the launch of the J-class yacht Rainbow at Holland Jachtbouw on 17 February, when, in time-honoured fashion, the owner’s daughter cracked a bottle of champagne against Rainbow ’s black hull.

Her namesake and predecessor, the original J Class Rainbow only took 100 days to build and was unveiled to an excited audience back in 1934. Designed by William Starling Burgess for Harold S Vanderbilt from the New York Yacht Club, she beat the British challenger Endeavour to win the America’s Cup. Sadly she was scrapped at the start of World War II for her metal.

Almost eight decades on, this 40m addition to the current J class fleet has been built to the same lines and reflects the same desire for speed and elegance. But while the original Rainbow was an empty boat with a deck and race rig, her 21st century successor took over two years to build in aluminium. She benefits from all modern technologies allowed under JCA regulations and the expertise of Gerry Dijkstra and his team gained on earlier J’s such as Hanuman .

Holland Jachtbouw is one of the few yards in The Netherlands able to launch a yacht of Rainbow ’s five-metre draught. It did so in fine fashion, showcasing her stunning looks with the black hull offset by a striking gold leaf cove stripe and sunken mahogany doghouse and skylight. The flush clean deck oozes grand prix racing with custom adonised winches and not a hint of stainless steel. They form part of a phenomenal rig that will feature a high-modulus carbon mast, boom and spinnaker pole from Southern Spars, and North Sails 3Di racing sails.

Her interior is the epitome of what can be achieved when you place superyacht standards of comfort within a racing boat hull. Holland Jachtbouw’s craftsmen have finely honed the raised-and-fielded mahogany panelling in 1930s style, and this is complemented with fine art deco detailing.

While all modern functional requirements have been integrated with full respect for Rainbow ’s heritage, the yacht is the first J Class yacht with a complete hybrid propulsion and power system. She can be operated on the Hy-Store Li-ion batteries, including sailing, navigation and hotel load. A lightweight 50kW WhisperPower Hy-Gen variable speed generator combined with the 50kW main engine integrated fly wheel generator provide the power. This gives Rainbow a high-tech propulsion set-up despite the minimal size available for an engine room and meets the owner’s desire for a silent period without running generators overnight.

After her delivery Rainbow will be put through her paces by a hand-picked professional crew in a rigorous training schedule leading up to the J Class Association regattas in the UK this summer.

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Hawaii to California

Offshore cruising course.

Each Summer, J World Sailing School hosts a truly special offshore adventure for sailors looking to learn the intricacies of offshore passage making on an actual adventure.  Departing annually in late July or early August, we sail across the Eastern Pacific from Hawaii to California.

This provides an excellent opportunity to log some serious sea miles offshore under the watchful eyes of our professional staff.  Everyone is an active member of the crew, and gets to share in all the responsibilities of onboard life.  From navigating to standing watches, from trimming sails to helming the boat, you can learn by doing.  The direct course is some 2200 miles, but your trip will take you along the sailing ship route, heading north from the islands until you can cut across the top of the Pacific High.  This will get you into the steady West and Northwest winds which will be your ticket for the final ride home.

Sailors get to cross a number of climate zones and will encounter a wide range of sailing conditions.  Offshore navigation and routing will be exercised aboard a fun-to-sail boat loaded with the latest communication and safety equipment.  If you have ever wanted to get some serious offshore experience to make you a better sailor and more valuable crew, or if you have dreamed of the cruising lifestyle but wondered how you would manage the challenging longer hauls, this course is perfect for you to get a taste aboard a professionally managed and maintained vessel with professional skipper/instructor oversight.

This is one of those experiences you will never forget.

The trip is expected to take about 14 days, but it could (of course) be a bit longer or shorter, depending on the conditions.  Please contact us for further information.

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" I have three words for you: JUST DO IT!"

To anyone reading this post, and considering doing this trip, I have three words for you: JUST DO IT! This trip will change your life! You will sail one of the longest stretches of ocean in the world, with a world-class skipper, aboard a world-class boat. You will experience the beauty of the “Blue Planet” like you never thought possible. When you first ponder the magnitude of this trip you will realize how vast the planet is, but upon your return you will understand how small it really is. Each day the sunrise and the sunset will be the best you have ever seen, until the next day. You will sail at night by the moonlight and you will see the moon rise and set like you never have before. You will see the stars and the planets and if you reach up with your hands you may be able to grab them… and if you are lucky one morning, you might sail through a lone rain shower as the sun is rising in front of you, and when you sail out of the cloud and when the warm and gentle rain stops and parts like a curtain in front of you, don’t forget to look BACK from where you came, and you might be greeted by the most spectacular double rainbow you have ever seen in your life, projected on the rain you just sailed through. I am sure every trip on the Hula Girl is different, and every trip is magical in its own way… Take this trip and discover your own magical moments! I did this trip a couple years ago and I would do it again in a heartbeat! JUST DO IT!!! – Jorge

"Best thing I ever did!"

Thank you to the J World staff for getting us back home to SF in style aboard Hula Girl! The 2013 Transback is DONE! You guys rock! My summer vacations will never be the same. Guess I will just have to keep doing this every year. Now to let the wife know

If your reading this and thinking of learning to sail, or looking to improve you skills; stop thinking and pick up the phone and make the call to J World!!!! BEST THING I EVER DID!

I learned more on this two week trip than I learned going through my ASA Basic, Coastal or Bareboat certifications. These guys are TOP NOTCH, and will provide you education and skills that will last a lifetime.

When is the last time you learned to sail a boat backwards, swam in the ocean 1000nm offshore in five mile deep water, operated a chart plotter at sea, mastered AIS, operated a SSB marine radio, saw the inter workings of a diesel marine engine, plotted your position on a chart in the Pacific Ocean using dead reckoning, learned in depth about sail dynamics and wind angles, rocketed along in Mexico on a J-80 or sailed from Hawaii to San Francisco at the helm of a Santa Cruz 50 going faster than wind? I have, thanks to Wayne and the team at J World! – Dave

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We had an absolutely fantastic time and achieved one of my life long goals – learning to sail!  The Instructors were truly great and we appreciated their very professional and friendly teaching style.  We’ll be back for sure!  Thank you for a great experience, J/World. Please send our regards to everyone….

Just wanted to say thank you for a great week taking the Performance Cruising class at J/World. Sailing the J80 was mucho fun and that J105 is a rocket!  Both of my instructors are super talented and I definitely learned more in that one week than I have in quite a while.  I’ll be in touch to do more sailing with J/World!

I wanted to thank you for a wonderful trip and the experience of a lifetime. I was and remain extremely impressed with all the preparation and hard work that you put in to make this trip a success. I took from this experience not only a great deal of knowledge on ocean sailing, but also increased confidence in my ability as a sailor.

[Our instructor] did an incredible job of ensuring that we both had a positive experience. I have been an educator for almost 30 years. Currently I am Superintendent of Schools for a jurisdiction of over 10,000 students with 1050 staff. I can assure you that [our J/World instructor] is a natural teacher with a broad range of skills.

I just wanted to take a minute to express my appreciation for this weeks class, and to let you know I was really impressed with [my instructors]. You have a great team there!  I certainly got everything I’d hoped for… and more. The J/80 was a blast, and the time on my own boat was invaluable. The Friday race was the perfect end to an excellent week…

Absolutely exceeded my expectations in every dimension. The boats were exceptional… new modern and in good shape. The instructors were awesome. It was hard to believe you could get that level of experience and accomplishment and at the same time have great teachers. Thanks you J/World Team!

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