{"id":45168,"date":"2017-08-24T23:53:30","date_gmt":"2017-08-25T04:53:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/?p=45168"},"modified":"2017-08-25T11:38:10","modified_gmt":"2017-08-25T16:38:10","slug":"j-boats-an-awesome-sight-to-see","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/setsail.com\/j-boats-an-awesome-sight-to-see\/","title":{"rendered":"J Boats – An Awesome Sight To See"},"content":{"rendered":"
\nIt is blowing a steady 20, gusting higher. There is a sea state commensurate with the breeze, and the boats within the Newport anchorage are tugging at their moorings. The yachts offshore, following the J class racers, are plunging through the waves trying to keep up on the wind. And on the race committee boat…<\/p>\n
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…pity the crew, for they are really taking it on the chin.<\/p>\n
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Downwind things are easier, if less dramatic. Watching these six magnificent yachts being handled like racing dinghies is a treat.<\/p>\n
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We have eight guests aboard. Everyone sits in the Matrix deck–that\u2019s 12\u00a0of us total. The view is excellent and we photograph over the smaller boats, leaving the foreground clear.<\/p>\n
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The day is overcast tending towards fog, with a little sun early on. The darker it gets, the more interesting the visuals.<\/p>\n
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The Js tack on the wind shifts, carry asymmetric kites downwind.<\/p>\n
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This is serious stuff.<\/p>\n
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Most of them seem to have a couple of guests aboard, either at the stern\u00a0or in a cockpit area.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOkay, everybody aft to keep the bow up during the run!”<\/p>\n
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Things look to get interesting at the bridge.<\/p>\n
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But this British ship figures there is room for everybody under the center span.<\/p>\n
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Does watching yacht racing get any better than this?<\/p>\n
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And finally, perspective.<\/p>\n
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The fastest boat today, and certainly the one having the most fun, might just be this 49er!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"