Q Class Yachts, Forerunners Of Iconic J Class, Poised For An Encore

Forbes

02-05-2025

This image from September 1926, 'Q Class at The Start', shows the sleek Q Class yachts designed to ... More race under new classification rules adopted by the New York Yacht Club in 1903. Q Class yachts led the way for the larger J Class, with some distinct advantages over the Js. Peter Silvester at Q7 Yacht Designs is working to revive this class of graceful beauties, citing their performance, smaller size, shorthanded sailing abilities, and reduced investment as reasons Q Class yachts deserve a comeback.
Everyone loves J Boats, the epic yachts of the 1930s era of America's Cup racing. These streamlined yachts, with extreme overhangs, narrow beams, and deep keels, hark back to a romantic era in the 1920s and 1930s when the Captains of Industry manned the helms, racing under glorious sail with spinnakers flying.
In a photo from June 1934, the original Q Class sailing yacht Falcon, a.k.a. Lively Lady, sailed in ... More Marblehead, MA. Reimagining Falcon, should she keep her form, but benefit from all of the modern materials and systems available today, Q7's Falcon Study will launch in 2026, celebrating one hundred years since first introduced.
J Class yachts are extraordinary. They are big. And expensive. They require a large crew of about 30 hands to sail effectively. That's a lot to organize for an impromptu afternoon sail, or a weekend regatta. There is an interesting and historic option on the horizon, and Peter Silvester, founder and CEO of Q7 Yacht Designs, is intent on sharing it with passionate sailors.
The beautifully restored Q Class Yacht Falcon sailing in the 2024 Yesteryear Regatta with the Q7 ... More Yacht Designs sailing team on board.
Before the J Class was a thing, there was the Q Class. Q Class yachts were designed in response to early 1900s yacht classifications rules abuses under the Seawanhaka Rule. Extreme yacht designs aimed at gaining a racing advantage began to cause serious accidents and incidents, some fatal.
A new rule devised by Nathanael Herreshoff added displacement into the classification equation giving rise to the new Universal Rule used to assign classifications, similar to a golf handicap, to sailing yachts. The formula effectively divided the speed-giving element, or the boat length times the square root of the sail area, by the speed-impeding elements, or the cube root of the dead weight, making displacement a relevant part of the equation.
The New York Yacht Club adopted the Herreshoff Rule, renaming it Universal Rule, in 1903. New designs for the Q Class quickly followed.
The restored Falcon out on the water along the San Diego coastline collects admiring looks and often ... More prompts questions. 'It's always fun to see people in modern boats checking to see if our engine's running as we sail past," founder and CEO of Q7 Yacht Designs Peter Silvester says with a smile. 'Sailing Falcon is always an event - it's a fantastic analogue experience that takes you back to basics and what you loved about sailing when you started: the sense of speed, the power of the wind and the immediate effect of subtle trim changes,' Silvester adds.
Like the J Class, very few Q Class yachts survived the devastation caused by World War II, leaving hulls in various states of neglect. Recognizing the exceptional form and function of the yachts and their ease of use, interested sailors began to invest in rebuilds of select hulls. One company, in particular, created Q7 Yacht Designs to maintain, sail, and race the original Q Class vessel Falcon.
Q7 Yachts Design team sailing the historic Q Class sailing yacht Falcon around San Diego, prior to a ... More presentation on Q7's Falcon Study to the Ancient Mariners Sailing Society ahead of the upcoming 2025 AMSS Regatta.
Silvester is dedicated to the resurgence of the Q Class, and has commissioned a new build and a new Q Class Falcon Study to show the world what this yacht can do. After Silvester found Falcon, which had been beautifully restored by John Anderson, but on the hard for years, he became Falcon's c caretaker and found her an exciting sailing yacht deserving of a second chance. Thus, he initiated the Falcon Study and the new build process for a revival of the Q Class.
'Our mission is to celebrate the legacy and heritage of 'Falcon', a classic 1926 Q Class racing sailboat, designed to the Universal Rule of Measurement and manufactured by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company,' Silvester states.
"Building the cathedral," this shot of the Interior framing of the reimagined Q Class yacht for the ... More Falcon Study highlights the exemplary work of the craftsmen at Spirit Yachts as they interpret the plans from Dykstra Naval Architects in reimagining the original 20th-century build.
The original 1926 Q Class Sloop Falcon was designed by Burgess, Swasey & Paine. After meticulous restoration by the boat builder John Anderson, Falcon is again functional and fabulous. The Q7 Yacht Designs team regularly sails and races Falcon in San Diego, California.
Silvester has worked closely with partners to bring the Q Class designs up to date, reimagining the original Falcon, optimizing the design to Universal Rule standards, and commissioning a new Q Class build under the Falcon Study banner with Dykstra Naval Architects on design and Spirit Yachts of the UK for the build.
A masterpiece in the making, layers of Sipo Mahogany set at 45 degrees before final fiberglass ... More weatherproofing as work progresses on the Q Class yacht for Q7 Yacht Designs Falcon Study at the Spirit Yachts shipyard.
"Imagine the beauty and performance of a 1920's racing sloop but manufactured today, combining traditional craftsmanship with the latest systems and materials - that's the Q7 'Falcon Study', " Silvester suggests.
Translating the original hull lines into an elegant new commission, Q7 Yacht Designs sought excellence in systems, and materials. In concert with Dykstra's expertise in design and Spirit Yachts' impeccable reputation for craftsmanship, all signs indicate that the Q7 Falcon Study will produce a modern classic Q Class yacht that remains authentic to form, while cleverly outfitted with modern conventions that will turn heads and collect a faithful following.
Coming together nicely, the new build for the Falcon Study gets a test fitting for the coachroof at ... More the Spirit Yachts shipyard in the UK.
To make sure the new build is distinctively a Q Class yacht, every effort was made to follow Falcon's sleek silhouette with original hull lines, full keel, and fractional rig. Built by hand using top of industry wood and epoxy construction and state-of-the-art techniques, the newest Q Class yacht will remain true to the Universal Rule Q Class rating.
This new Q Class Falcon will have electric winches and the utmost in electronics and instrumentation. Fully recyclable sails, electric propulsion with regenerative capability, bow thruster, head sail furling system, carbon mast, boom, and rigging with a performance package from One Sails all contribute to improved performance. There will be generous accommodation for two with electric head, shower, and hot water, and accommodation for four crew berths for regatta weekends.
In 2026, the Falcon Q Class yacht will mark 100 years since she first appeared on the regatta scene. In a celebratory tribute, the Falcon Study will launch the new Q7 build to commemorate that anniversary.
Flying her asymmetric spinnaker bearing the original Q7 sail number, Falcon struts her stuff along ... More the San Diego coastline.
'We've worked hard with the teams at Dykstra and Spirit Yachts to ensure we retain the spirit, essence and heritage of Falcon in the new Q7," Silvester notes, adding, 'I'm not a professional sailor but the fact that America's Cup/Sailing legends like Dennis Connor and Bruno Troublé chose Q Class yachts to own and race should tell you everything you need to know about what a joy they are to sail.'
As the reimagined Falcon approaches completion, events will celebrate the new build, inspiring passionate sailors to follow suit. 'We're looking forward to providing updates on our adventures in the original 'Falcon' and updates on the Q7 'Falcon Study'. Stay tuned!' Silvester concludes.
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