Rainbow’s Return to Racing Marks a Great Day Out for the J Class at The Superyacht Cup Palma

Swedish-flagged Svea may have claimed victory in the first two windward-leeward races at The Superyacht Cup Palma, but the spotlight today undoubtedly shone on Rainbow – now owned by Neville Crichton – which made its racing return after a near ten-year hiatus.

Light breezes greeted competitors on the Bay of Palma, offering a chance for owners and crews of the three participating J Class yachts to relish the simple pleasure of lining up alongside each other. This marked their first race under the new ORCj VPP handicap rule.

Svea emerged victorious in the first race, edging out Rainbow by approximately six minutes on corrected time. The second race, held in slightly stronger winds, saw Rainbow inch closer, finishing just 1 minute and 8 seconds behind the well-oiled Svea crew after time correction. Velsheda trailed behind by a further minute.

“It was fantastic, just fantastic,” beamed Matthew Sweetman, Boat Captain of Rainbow. “Today was the culmination of nearly two years hard work. The boat worked very well and had no issues. Everything we did is working and there are a few things we want to improve on. It is a nice start today, a really nice start to Neville’s J Class career.”

Recounting the race, Sweetman explained, “In the first race, we got slightly pinned out by Velsheda, causing both of us to overstand. Svea capitalised by sailing around us, and that settled the matter. The second race saw a more even start, but we had to tack off early and lost some time getting out of phase. We also had to duck Velsheda, which cost us some ground. However, we executed a great Kiwi drop at the leeward mark, positioned ourselves well on the right side, capitalised on favourable shifts throughout the race, and ultimately, it was a fantastic day out!”

Svea’s Navigator, Steve Hayles, shared his perspective: “It was an unusual day for Palma, with a rather shocking first race start that actually played to our advantage. We were content with the side we got, aligning with our pre-race plan. The others ended up in a bit of a line-up, allowing us to sail on our own, which was perfectly acceptable. The second race commenced in around ten knots of wind, presenting more typical conditions. These boats perform well upwind in light airs. But above all, it was simply fantastic to have a three-boat line-up, and seeing Rainbow back out there was truly special. We came out of it well today.”

Commenting on Rainbow’s potential, Hayles remarked, “It’s too early to draw definitive conclusions. However, looking at the boat and the crew, with individuals like Murray Jones and Simon Fisher on board, we know they’ll be strong competitors. They’ll undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with. And then there’s the vast experience of the Velsheda crew, who likely know these boats better than anyone else. Regardless, we thoroughly enjoyed it – a fantastic day to see these magnificent vessels racing against each other once again.”

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The Superyacht Cup Results

Race 1

Svea

Rainbow (+6 mins 06 secs)

Velsheda (+10 mins 16 secs)

Race 2

Svea

Rainbow (+1 mins 08 secs)

Velsheda (+2 mins 08 secs)