25 years of the J/24

Sean McNeill looks forward to the quarter century regatta to be held in Newport for this classic race boat

In 1978, Jimmy Carter was President of the U.S. The Senate ratified a pact that would turn over control of the Panama Canal to Panama at the end of 1999. And champion boxer Muhammad Ali, at age 36, won the heavyweight title for an unprecedented third time.

Much more inconspicuously, a 24-foot sailboat grew out of a family garage in Stonington, Conn. Few realised at the time that it would turn out to be one of the most influential one-designs the sport of sailing has ever known.

The J/24, designed by Rod Johnstone, began as a family garage project, but it went on to launch more than a thousand sailing careers. Some of today's most notable personalities - Ed Baird, Dave Curtis, Terry Hutchinson, John Kolius, Chris Larson, Brad Read and Ken Read, to name a few - have won the class' world championship. The large fleets and strict one-design controls placed great emphasis on the helmsman and crew sailing in harmony to achieve success.

"When I was a junior sailor, the J/24 class was the class. It was where Curtis and Kolius were doing it," said Larson, the 1996 world champion. "It was the way you worked yourself up the ladder to take it to the next step. The class has a great aura for what it's accomplished."

Today, the J/24 remains the most successful design from family owned J/Boats, with more than 5,000 boats manufactured to date. The boat's success is also evidenced by more than 50 U.S. fleets. Internationally, there are fleets in Australia, Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Next week the class will conduct its Silver Anniversary Regatta, celebrating 25 years of racing; in Newport, R.I. Newport has long been a hot bed of activity for the class. J/Boats headquarters is based there and Newport hosted the first J/24 North American and World Championship regattas.

"It's hard to believe that what started as a family garage project, grew to an international fleet of over 5,000 boats. We hope to celebrate not only the anniversary of the class, but the incredible history of champions who have emerged from the J/24 fleets to lead the sport of sailing," said Jeff Johnstone, J Boats President and event committee member.

In celebration of the silver anniversary as many as 100 boats are expected to attend the week-long festivities for which a host of events are planned.

Of all the prizes to be awarded, a raffle is drawing the most interest. Participants can enter a raffle for a chance to win a new, ready-to-sail J/24 from US Watercraft, the current manufacturer of the boat. Tickets for the new boat, worth an estimated $40,000, cost $100 each and it is limited to 650 entrants.

The winner of the new J/24 will tow away a brand new boat Hull #5318 which will include equipment from leading manufacturers and suppliers including: North Sails, Hall Rigging, Harken, Triad and crew gear from MBS Sportswear.

The week kicks off with a ceremonial Legends Race on Tuesday, July 15. Past world champions and class stalwarts like Dave Curtis, Ken Read, Terry Hutchinson, Rod Johnstone, Bob Johnstone, Brad Read, Pat Connerney, Dick Tillman, John Gjerde, Bill Fortenberry will compete in the celebratory race.

A three-division regatta will take place Wednesday, July 16, through Saturday, July 19. Competitors can pick their own division based on skill level or expectations. The three classes represent the varied interests in the class and include Silver Fleet (valid measurement certificate and crew weigh-in), Regatta Fleet (no crew weigh in) and Anniversary Fleet (non-spinnaker division).

The event is being hosted by Sail Newport, one of New England's premier public sailing center and regatta site. Organisers include Sail Newport, J/Boats and US Watercraft. Waterline Systems/USWATERCRAFT will present a special Sportsmanship Trophy to be awarded to a team chosen by the Regatta Committee.

The J/24 Silver Anniversary Regatta is a commemoration of the competitiveness and camaraderie of the J/24 Class through 25 years. The events of the J/24 Silver Anniversary Regatta will celebrate and support the future of the J/24 Class.