The 129 ft sailing yacht you’re looking at is a J-Class named “Velsheda” and her tender or “support vessel” “Bystander”, spotted off of Greenwich, CT during the holiday weekend. J-Class sailing yachts are very few and far between and were mainly built in the UK or America. The reason they are considered “J-Class is because they conform to the specs of Nathanael Herreshoff’s Universal Rule, which determined a yachts eligibility to compete in the America’s Cup from 1914 to 1937. This particular J-

Inside J Class yacht Svea – what it's really like to race on board the newest member of the fleet - Yachting World

J-Class . The J-Class yachts emerged in the early 1930s as the pinnacle of luxury and performance in the America’s Cup. Designed under the Universal Rule, they were massive, powerful racing yachts built by elite naval architects for wealthy syndicates. Only a handful were ever constructed, making them rare symbols of prestige and innovation. After World War II, most J-Class yachts were scrapped due to high maintenance costs and changing racing rules. Decades later, renewed fascination with class