Holland Jachtbouw has launched the J-class yacht Rainbow

First J-class yacht with hybrid propulsion Holland Jachtbouw has launched the J-class yacht Rainbow at its yard in the Netherlands.

Based upon the lines of the original America's Cup winner in 1934, this spectacular 40-metre J features a high-end superyacht interior and a unique hybrid propulsion and power system inside a racing boat hull, all topped off by a grand prix racing deck and rig.Rainbow is currently being stepped and sea trials will commence in March as she gears up to complete in this summer's regattas, including the J-class races in England.

For her launch Rainbow was brought outside the ultra-modern main construction hall at Holland Jachtbouw, wheeled onto a barge and lifted by two cranes into the water. This sophisticated operation took full advantage of the yard's rare capacity to launch vessels with a draught of five metres (Holland Jachtbouw can actually accommodate yachts of up to 5.5 metres draft and 65 metres in length). "It is such a thrill to be able to fully appreciate a design that was last seen in the open almost eighty years ago," says the yard's co-director Tako van Ineveld. "This 'new' Rainbow took us over two years to build while her predecessor was completed in just one hundred days. This does not mean we are slower... It is a reflection of the incredible degree of sophistication that is now contained within these timeless lines. The original Rainbow was an empty boat with a deck of sailing gear and a powerful aluminium rig. This Rainbow is a different proposition altogether."

The project's naval architects were Dykstra & Partners, and this office also partnered with deVosdeVries design on the interior. The original Rainbow was drawn by William Starling Burgess in the early 1930s and the vessel was scrapped in 1940. This design has now been incorporated int o an all-aluminium yacht that meets the J-class Association maximum performance rules. All modern functional requirements have been integrated with full respect for Rainbow's heritage, while the decks have been kept as clean and flush as possible featuring only a mahogany doghouse and skylight. The latter offers a quite spectacular contrast with the superb jet black-coloured hull and gold leaf cove stripe. "We believe that Rainbow is the most beautiful J on the water today," says Van Ineveld. "But more importantly, she is built to win races!" Gerry Dijkstra and his team have utilised all their vast experience and the very latest computer modelling to optimise Rainbow's performance via a lightweight construction with a high degree of overall stiffness.

The rig includes a Southern Spars high-modulus carbon mast, boom and spinnaker pole, continuous carbon fibre rigging, North Sails 3Di racing sails and Lewmar high-speed hydraulic winches. All are entirely customised to Rainbow's specific requirements and, like everything metallic on deck, anodised to create a light grey look. All the new generation of Js need to have a fully functioning interior under JCA rules, and Rainbow's owner has spared no expense when it comes to luxury accommodation and premium equipment, including full air conditioning.

The original Rainbow did not have an engine room so there was obviously not a great deal of space to accommodate one within the lines plan. Holland Jachtbouw's solution, developed in partnership with WhisperPower, has been to create an ingenious hybrid propulsion and power system especially for this project.

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