The original masterpiece, drawn by William Burgess, was commissioned by the heir to the American railroad empire, Harold Vanderbilt. She was built in just 100 days at the Herreshoff yard in New England to challenge for the 1934 America’s Cup, on which occasion she triumphed over Endeavour.
While the legendary yacht did not survive the Second
World War, her plans did. Based on those, a new, all-aluminium, Rainbow was developed
by a team of Dutch naval architects and designers to be finally launched in
2012 at the pedigree shipyard Holland Jachtbouw.
“We believe that Rainbow is the most beautiful J on the water today,” said a shipyard’s representative back then. “But more importantly, she is built to win races!”
Leading the new generation of J-Class sailboats, she combines the classic allure with the technology to win races against other members of her class. In particular, Rainbow features a hybrid propulsion and power system inside a racing boat’s hull, complemented by a grand prix racing deck and rig.
Faithful to the yacht’s original lines, Dykstra & Partners optimized her performance through lightweight construction, comprising a Southern Spars high-modulus carbon mast, boom and spinnaker pole, continuous carbon fiber rigging, North Sails 3Di racing sails and Lewmar high-speed hydraulic winches, all customized to Rainbow’s specific requirements.
Since her launch, she has proved to be a fearsome competitor at regattas worldwide, including the St Barths Bucket and the Superyacht Cup, Palma. She won two races taking second place overall in the J Class at the Porto CervoMaxi Rolex Cup in 2013, and won the third race taking second overall in Division A at the LoroPiana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta & Rendezvous, BVI, in 2014. RAINBOW was also named best sailing yacht of the year in her size range at the 2013 World Superyacht Awards.
Beyond the racing circuit, Rainbow is also an ideal yacht for charter, as she was built to meet Lloyd’s and MCA standards. Dykstra & Partners joined efforts with deVosdeVriesDesign studio to create the mahogany-paneled interior below decks in Art Deco style that includes a salon, dining area, as well as spacious accommodation for up to 8 guests in the owner’s suite and two further cabins with Pullman berths, all of them complemented by marble en-suites. A sunken deckhouse in solid mahogany is another picturesque element of the boat’s timeless design.
Able to be operated entirely on her Hy-StoreLi-ion batteries, including sailing, navigation and hotel load, she leaves the least ecological footprint possible, while her noise levels are substantially lowered, allowing for silent night-time sailing or docking.
Find out more here or email her broker Will Bishop at will.bishop@ypigroup.com.
Sponsored by Yachting Partners International
E. brokerage@ypigroup.com
T. +377 99 99 97 97
