The J Class yachts which will compete at next week's J Class Barcelona Regatta and their crews will assemble over the next few days in the heart of the Catalan capital, host city for the 37th America's Cup as final preparations are made before racing starts on Monday.
Three boats are expected to race, Velsheda, Rainbow and Svea. Shamrock V will no longer join the line up, due to ongoing commissioning work. The showcase Barcelona event, hosted by the Real Club Nautico de Barcelona, brings the historic, graceful J Class yachts back into the America's Cup arena at a time when the competing futuristic foiling craft have never appeared more like the CGI science fiction flying machines. It has been nearly two years since the J Class owners and the class association decided to bring the yachts to the city and so excitement and anticipation is building up fast.
The regatta will be the first and only J class event of 2024 and will be raced under the J Class Association's new ORC J VPP handicap rule which has been seen to more accurately rate the J Class yachts which are of such diverse design and performance characteristics.
