City - State - NEW ENGLAND Country - United States
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Ranger - J Class Yacht - Race Week, Newport, RI 7/22/06
1/800th - f/8 - iso100 - 28mm
One of the most amazing experiences you can have is to be on the water next to an original J class yacht blowing by at 15-20 knots. You can literally feel the power of this boat as it moves through the water.
The J-class yacht Ranger won the 1937 America's Cup, defeating 4-0 the Endeavour II of Britain, raced at Newport, Rhode Island. It would be the last time huge J-class yachts would race in the America's Cup.
Harold Stirling Vanderbilt funded construction of the Ranger, and it launched on May 11, 1937. It was designed by Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens, and constructed by Bath Iron Works. Stephens would credit Burgess with actually designing the Ranger, but the radical departure from conventional J-class design was more likely attributable to Stephens himself.
Ranger was constructed according to the Universal Rule which determined how large various dimensions of racing yachts, such as sail area and length, could be. Often referred to as the super J, the Ranger received a rating of 76, the maximum allowed while still fitting within Universal Rule constraints.
Overall length: 135 ft Length at water line: 87 ft Beam (width): 21 ft Draft: 15 ft Displacement: 166 tons
This was surely made for racing and much fun and excitement !! Excellent capture as well... I just can't get enough of the image to critique properly yet forgive me please! Also love that you wrote all about the Ranger... It is very important to understand what you are viewing !
Also, these seem like they would be no brainer shots - some of the most impressive boats on the water - but getting these photos to be sharp and well exposed is not so easy. These were very choppy waters, and we're always moving one way or another, with numerous boats all around you.
Alot of credit should go to the chase boat driver, who had nerves of steel, and would bring us within 10-15 ft. of some of these boats.
I really like this shot, the lighting and exposure are perfect for the mood of the sea. The way you have it composed in the frame gives the viewer a sense of its speed. Very nice.
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