Ranger J5

Ranger

In response to the 1937 challenge Harold Vanderbilt had Olin Stephens and Starling Burgess draw up two sets of line each only stating only that the designs would have to be 87 feet on the waterline, a deep forefoot and moderate beam. all stipulations based on his observations on Rainbow and Yankee.

He had models of Rainbow, Endeavour and Weetamoe tank tested along with models of the 4 new designs. When the results of the tank tests confirmed those observed of the real boats, he had confidence in the results obtained for the four new models. Model 77-C which had shown to be the best at speeds between 6 and 8 knots as selected. The new model was quite unique in form, it was thought the models bulbous stem and flattened stern where responsible for her remarkable speed.

Ranger as the new boat was called was the first defender to be built of all steel construction with flush riveted plates. She was built at the Bath steel works who built her at cost as Vanderbilt was funding the whole project himself. Her spars, mast, boom and spinnaker boom where all duralumin.

Unfortunately, her new mast was lost during towing around Cape Cod to Newport for the preliminary races and was not replaced until the observation races.

During the Preliminary races she borrowed a mast from Rainbow and used gear from Weetamoe, Vanitie and Enterprise. Even with her borrowed rig Ranger was a clear winner. When fitted with her new mast in time for the observation races her dominance was clear. She was selected to Defend the Americas Cup after a brief selection contest with Rainbow and went on to win four straight victories in the Americas Cup against the challenger Endeavour 11

Ranger had an extensive suite of sails including the revolutionary Rayon quad Genoa and a huge 18,000sq ft spinnaker.

Like the other J’s she was not fitted out after the 1937 season and was scrapped in 1941.

In 2003 a replica of Ranger was launched and has been very active on the J Class Regatta circuit. I have been very lucky to follow her on a number of occassions. The painting below shows her racing at the J Class Regatta Palma 2014

Over the years I’ve had the pleasure of watching Ranger race many times. Below is a section of images of her from some of these Regattas

Specifications

Waterline Length….87ft

Overall length…….135ft 2 inches

Beam………………20ft 11 inches

Draught ft………….15ft

Displacement………

Sail area……………