Rainbows first Palma training sessions are a reminder of the joys of J Class racing. News lands in the racing notebook because the real work will be done in breeze, tide, crew calls and the short moments when a fleet either holds its nerve or starts blaming the sky. David Freddie Carr has two decades of Americas Cup experience under his belt, most recently as a grinder and cyclor on the AC75s, but he races everything from Etchells to Maxis, most notably a firm fixture on Harrisons Jolt Sailing Team and Tony Langleys TP52 Gladiator.
For the crews, the interest sits in the class form, the weather window and the tactical choices that turn a clean start into a result worth carrying back to the clubhouse.
Once the lines are slipped, the value will show in the choices made on deck, at the harbour office, in the club launch and among the crews trying to turn news into something useful afloat.
David Freddie Carr has two decades of Americas Cup experience under his belt, most recently as a grinder and cyclor on the AC75s, but he races everything from Etchells to Maxis, most notably a firm fixture on Harrisons Jolt Sailing Team and Tony Langleys TP52 Gladiator. He, among others, is bristling with excitement at the chance to be back racing on a J Class yacht again.
He has been extolling the pleasure and virtues of J Class sailing on The Foil After three days of training he enthuses, We definitely a have a young vibe on board. And we have a lot of people who had never sailed a J Class although they have done lots of big boats.
Take someone like Joey Newton, for example, would be a great example, hes done decades of IACC classes and the whole of foiling world and everything like that. And here we are in Palma, Joey stepped off the J Class sailing in 20 knots and says that's probably one of the most fun days sailing I've ever had in my life And I think that's the kind of message we're trying to push is that while everyone seems to be talking about doing 55 knots everywhere.
Back when we were all sailing IACC class boats, you would do six days a week, six hours a day of absolutely perfecting spinnaker pole, overlapping headsail, big loads on winches world. And we all absolutely loved to try and become world class at.
And you'll nip downstairs - you don't pee off the side of a J class obviously - so you nip downstairs to go for a wee and you go into this absolute world of luxury and tranquilly which I always find quite funny.