Boat details (n°675)
Boat details (n°675)
JPN-1
Essentials
Designer
Sparkman & Stephens (USA)
Builder
Louis Plojoux, Corsier-Port, Genève (SUI)
Material
Mahogany, carvel planked
1st certificate issued
01-01-1963
Original boat name
Roy
Original country
JPN
Original sail number
1
Current location
5.5 J 1 "Roy" - Launch : As published in Till Rors, 1964
(credits : Not disclosed)
Added by Kaspar Stubenrauch
on 2022-01-20
Photo Gallery (3)
Notes (3)
Ryoichi “Roy” Yamaguchi
23-02-2017
by Alain Marchand, 23-02-2017
Ryoichi “Roy” Yamaguchi was a pioneer in sailing in Japan, establishing Japan’s first competitive fleet of yachts in the 1950s, and was instrumental in developing a generation of sailors in Japan. As the Tokyo Olympics were approaching in 1963, he commissioned marine architects Sparkman and Stephens to create a 5.5 meter boat to be entered into the 1964 Olympics sailing competition. Yamaguchi would then captain it in the Games.
But just as the boat was completed, Yamaguchi passed away on September 22, 1963 at the age of 42. Yamaguchi was not only one of the biggest figures in Japan sailing, he was also the president of a Japanese engineering firm called Tomoe Kogyo, which was apparently going to be the sponsor for the boat, and the provider of the JPY15 million for the boat’s construction. With Yamaguchi’s death, it was unclear whether Tomoe Kogyo would continue its sponsorship with the loss of the captain.
According to the Mainichi Daily News Article from October 9, 1964, a friend of Yamaguchi’s came to the rescue. Danish yachtsman, Kaj Wolhardt, a long-time friend of Yamaguchi, bought the completed boat for JPY5million, and then donated it to Japan. Apparently efforts for the leaders of Tomoe Kogyo to reimburse Wolhardt fell on deaf ears. But as a result, the boat commissioned by Yamaguchi was in Japan.
In stepped another friend of Yamaguchi and employee of Tomoe Kogyo, Fujiya Matsumoto, who took over the leadership of the boat so that it could be entered into the 5.5 meter sailing competition at the Tokyo Olympics. He decided to name the boat “Roy”, after the nickname Yamaguchi picked up in his international travels.
In fact, according to the article, a portrait of Roy Yamaguchi would be in the hull of the boat. Wolhardt flew to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, so he could pay his respects, and see the “Roy” sail into competition.
But just as the boat was completed, Yamaguchi passed away on September 22, 1963 at the age of 42. Yamaguchi was not only one of the biggest figures in Japan sailing, he was also the president of a Japanese engineering firm called Tomoe Kogyo, which was apparently going to be the sponsor for the boat, and the provider of the JPY15 million for the boat’s construction. With Yamaguchi’s death, it was unclear whether Tomoe Kogyo would continue its sponsorship with the loss of the captain.
According to the Mainichi Daily News Article from October 9, 1964, a friend of Yamaguchi’s came to the rescue. Danish yachtsman, Kaj Wolhardt, a long-time friend of Yamaguchi, bought the completed boat for JPY5million, and then donated it to Japan. Apparently efforts for the leaders of Tomoe Kogyo to reimburse Wolhardt fell on deaf ears. But as a result, the boat commissioned by Yamaguchi was in Japan.
In stepped another friend of Yamaguchi and employee of Tomoe Kogyo, Fujiya Matsumoto, who took over the leadership of the boat so that it could be entered into the 5.5 meter sailing competition at the Tokyo Olympics. He decided to name the boat “Roy”, after the nickname Yamaguchi picked up in his international travels.
In fact, according to the article, a portrait of Roy Yamaguchi would be in the hull of the boat. Wolhardt flew to Japan for the Tokyo Olympics, so he could pay his respects, and see the “Roy” sail into competition.
5.5 J-1 "Roy" - performance comments
01-09-2009
by Kaspar Stubenrauch, 01-09-2009
Biwi Reich reports on the test sailing after the launch at Corsier: "...the Japanese 5.5m J-1, an S&S design, was built 1963 at Corsier and test-sailed by myself together with Rod Stevens and Yul Brynner. The sailing performance of "Roy" were no impressing myself nor Rod Stevens, which was later reconfirmed when the boat came in as penultimate before the Mexican boat in the Enoshima Olympic races in 1964..."
5.5 J-1 "Roy" - Design by S&S
21-08-2009
by Kaspar Stubenrauch, 21-08-2009
Design #1731 by S&S
Document library (0)
5.5 J 1 "Roy" - Launch : As published in Till Rors, 1964
(credits : Not disclosed)
Added by Kaspar Stubenrauch on 2022-01-20
Ownership history (1)
Sail#
Name
Owner
JPN-1
"Roy"