"RANGER" THE J CLASS YACHT BUILT BY DANISH YACHT
12/06/08

In 1934 Sir T.O.M. Sopwith lost his challenge for the America’s Cup with his J Class ‘ENDEAVOUR’ and returned to Britain on the Aquitania, to announce that he would build a new ENDEAVOUR II to challenge for the next America’s Cup.

In the meantime, Harold S Vanderbilt, an owner of many earlier Defenders, contacted yacht designers Sparkman & Stephens to discuss a potential new J Class yacht. It was agreed that Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens would each come up with four designs that would be tank tested. The brief was to design a maximum size J under the Universal Rule with a waterline length of 87 foot, moderate beam and ballasting to the forefoot, in order to improve stability.

Finally the 8 designs had models completed, together with models of ENDEAVOUR I and RAINBOW, from the previous Cup. This was to be the first really scientific tank testing program, where accurate measurements could be taken and analysed.

The more radical design 77C showed superiority on most points of sailing in the tank results, especially down the wind range. By Autumn 1936, all lines plans were agreed and the decision to build was taken with Bath Ironworks in Maine. RANGER went on to prove that she was in fact the fastest of all theAmerican yachts, winning nearly every race in the Defender work up series and Defender selection series, as well as winning all four races (out of a seven race series) in the final of the America’s Cup against the much acclaimed ENDEAVOUR II.

Now fast forward to 2003 when the racing legend of ‘RANGER’ was recreated by Danish Yacht in their shipyard in Skagen, in a composite of high tensile and grade A steel, to Lloyds Classification, the MCA Code of practice for the safety of large commercial yachts and the J Class Association Rules. Taken from the same lines as the original in 1937, ‘RANGER’ took the prestigious award for ‘Highest Technical Achievement in a Sailing Yacht’ at the 15th Annual Showboat Awards in 2004, just one year after she was launched. Her superb finish is entirely down to the strength of the team at Danish Yacht, working closely with the naval architects and interior design teams. Her luxury interior illustrates the incomparable joinery skills from the craftsmen at Danish Yacht, who combined traditional quality with a modern approach to the working technical areas on board.

Per Hesselbæk and the entire team at Danish Yacht would like to take this opportunity to wish RANGER and her crew a successful and enjoyable regatta at the Superyacht Cup in Palma.

Monaco Sales Office:
jonathan@danishyacht.com
Denmark: +45 2224 1184
Monaco: +377 607 934 210

http://www.danishyacht.com

http://www.jclassyachts.com