While the big show at the America’s Cup races in Bermuda are the AC50s, the high-tech foiling catamarans literally flying across the courses, one might be excused for a sense of falling into a time warp, as just off the island, a fleet of J boats, grand racing yachts from another era, compete against each other, as if from another time.

After a lively competition, in a replay of the 2013 America’s Cup, the AC50 foiling cat, Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), was chosen again as the challenger to Oracle Team USA. And also like 2013, ETNZ has started off beating the defender in the first four races. It remains to be seen if Oracle can make a dramatic comeback, as they did in 2013 to retain the Cup. Racing between Oracle and  ETNZ begins again this weekend.

As the AC50 cats have been testing the limits of sailing technology, a fleet of J boats have been recalling an earlier time as they race just off the island.  The J Class yachts, often called J boats, were built between 1914 and 1937 according the Nathaniel Herreshoff’s Universal Rule.  Ten J boats were built, of which three survive today — Shamrock V , Velsheda, and Endeavour . Shamrock V  and Endeavour  raced for the America’s Cup in 1930 and 1934 respectively.

In Bermuda, a fleet of seven old and new J boats have assembled.  In the first round of races as apart of the America’s Cup Superyacht Regatta, Lionheart, a J boat built in 2010 won top honors. Lionheart also won the first ever America’s Cup J Class Regatta.