The original J Class yacht Rainbow, built by Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in 1934, and owned and sailed by American railroad millionaire Harold Vanderbilt, successfully defended the America’s Cup in 1934 against Thomas Sopwith’s British challenger, Endeavour.
Watch some old footage of the original Rainbow from 1934, followed by video of the new Rainbow JH2 from the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta:
The new Rainbow JH2 was commissioned after the formation of the J Class Association in 2000, and was built in Holland to a design by Dykstra Naval Architects based on the original plans.
With state-of-the-art systems, Rainbow JH2 can be sailed by a crew of just eight in cruising mode with eight additional people accommodated as guests on board. When Rainbow JH2’s huge spinnaker is hoisted, however, as many as 28 sailors are required.
The original Rainbow took just 100 days to build, whereas the construction of Rainbow JH2 took two years. This was due to the extra luxury and technology required to make her into not only a fast racing machine, but a comfortable cruising yacht, as well.
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