The J Class yachts were thoroughbreds on the water. They emerged from Nathanael Herreshoff’s Universal Rule, introduced in 1903 to create parity among racing yachts by calculating a time correction factor based on length, sail area and deadweight. From 1914 to 1937, the rule governed America’s Cup eligibility, and the J Class yachts became the de facto America’s Cup class from 1930 to 1937.
In this 1934 photograph, five of the J Class yachts race downwind in formation (from left to right): Velsheda, Candida, Shamrock V, Astra and Britannia.
Velsheda, designed by Charles E. Nicholson and built in 1933 by Camper & Nicholsons for Woolworth’s Chairman William Lawrence Stephenson, was the only J Class not built for an America’s Cup. Even so, she was a dominant racer for three seasons, notching more than 40 wins during her second season alone.
Candida launched in 1929 as a 23-Metre Class yacht, and was converted to J Class in 1931. Also designed by Nicholson, her construction included mahogany planking on composite steel frames, a yellow pine deck and a metal mast.
Shamrock V was commissioned in 1929 by tea magnate Sir Thomas Lipton for his fifth America’s Cup challenge, in 1930. This was the first J Class yacht built to the Universal Rule and the first British contender for the America’s Cup to carry the Bermuda rig. Shamrock V showed early promise on the British regatta circuit, winning 15 of 33 races and placing second in an additional four. She competed in the 1930 America’s Cup, but Enterprise won in a clean sweep. Lipton died the following year, having never won a Cup.
Astra was a Nicholson design for sewing machine magnate Sir Adam Mortimer Singer. Astra launched in 1928 and was converted to J Class in 1931. She was built of Honduran mahogany over steel frames with yellow pine decks.
Britannia launched in 1893 for the future King Edward VII. After a successful early career, the boat stepped back from racing after 1897. In 1920, King George V refitted her for racing, and rig updates kept her competitive through the 1920s. She was converted to J Class in 1931, but by the 1930s, her windward performance had declined. Her final race was at Cowes in 1935.
Today, of these yachts, only Velsheda and Shamrock V remain. Velsheda was restored in the 1980s after nearly 50 years in a mud berth. Shamrock V was most recently relaunched in 2024 following a restoration.
September 2025
