J Class Battle for the Kohler Cup

by RG on 24 Aug 2017 A large fleet of J Class yachts has assembled for their first-ever World Championship this week.

Six yachts will engage in a five-day battle of beauty and brawn in the waters off Newport, Rhode Island. Per class rules, all of the yachts racing are original J Class designs using the most advanced boat building and equipment technology.

While considered Superyachts, at North Sails we think of the J's as a Grand Prix class because the teams are sailing as aggressively as if they were on a TP52.

Many of the teams have recently upgraded to 3Di RAW, the lightest, highest performance sail that has been smashing records and filling trophy cases.

In addition to the World Champion title, the fleet is also competing in the final act of the Kohler Cup, a trophy named in memory of Terry Kohler, the former owner of North Sails, an entrepreneur and philanthropist.

The Kohler Cup is a season-long points championship awarded to a J Class yacht, presently Lionheart sits on top of the leaderboard with 14.5 points. Velsheda and Hanuman follow closely behind with 14 and 13.5 points respectively. J Class Worlds is worth double points, so the win is up for grabs.

It’s going to be a great week of racing, whether you’re viewing from the water or following online. North Sails will be posting updates across social media, follow our Instagram Story for a behind-the-scenes view.

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60 Years of Sailmaking In 1957, decorated american sailor Lowell North started a small sailmakiing company in a room whitin San Diego's B Street Pier. Sixty years later, North Sails has grown into the world’s leading sailmaker, with seven wholly owned manufacturing sites in six different countries, 1,500 employees worldwide, and tens of thousands of sails hoisted around the globe each year. Dive into 60 Years of Sailmaking with a series celebrating North’s instinct to push the limits of nature, sails, and self. Learn More →