History
The History of the Flying Junior & International FJ
by Mike Wyatt
Updated 12/29/99
The "Flying Dutchman Junior" was originally designed, in Holland, by Van Essen, a wellknown Dutch boat designer. Listed as codesigner was Conrad Gulcher, Dutch Olympic sailor. (Gulcher and Van Essen also collaborated on the Flying Dutchman.)
Conrad Gulcher served as International Class Secretary for both classes for many years, and was a main driving force behind both the International Flying Dutchman, and International (FJ) Flying Junior classes until his death in 1989.
The first FJ was built of coldmolded wood, and was tested on the water in December, 1955:
Image copyright IFJO
December 1955, Holland, Flying Dutchman Junior
(We believe that this is Conrad Gulcher at the helm)
The original purpose of the "Flying Dutchman Junior" was to serve as a junior trainer for the thennew Olympic Flying Dutchman (FD). The FD is a much larger ( 19'10"), faster, and more physical class than its younger sister. The FJ rules also allowed (and still allow) many of the same technical innovations as the FD, and the boat was (and still is) ideal to teach newer sailors the intricacies of tuning, mast rake and bend, etc. so important to top-level competitive sailing.
The Class' name was quickly changed to "Flying Junior" as the class developed on its own, and the Flying Junior Class Organization was free and independent of the Flying Dutchman organization by about 1960.
The Flying Junior in the United States
The Flying Junior grew in popularity in Europe, and in the early 1960's several people began to import them to the United States as small sailboats for use, mainly by adults.
The U.S. Flying Junior class was originally formed through the efforts of Al Liebler, and his wife Sonie, of the Kansas City area. The Lieblers were among the first Americans to import an FJ, and were instrumental in the early growth of the class in this country. The FJUS National Champion Perpetual Trophy is named the "Liebler Bowl", after the Lieblers.
The center of racing activity of the Flying Junior in the U.S. during the 1960's was the Midwest, in and around Kansas City. Early FJ Fleets also formed near Oak Ridge, TN, New York (Long Island), Delaware, and the San Francisco Bay area. By the 1970's Fleets had also formed in Northern Ohio, Richmond, IN, Chicago, Little Rock, Arkansas, and in southern Florida.
As of this date (early 2000), Fleets exist in the Cleveland, OH area (LaDue Reservoir in Geauga County), the San Francisco Bay area (Lake Elizabeth in Fremont), Denver, Akron, OH (Congress Lake Club), and Knoxville/Oak Ridge, TN (Concord Yacht Club). See the "Contacts" in this site for names of people in these Fleets.
FJ Gets IYRU International Class Status
By the early 1970's, the Flying Junior was accorded the status of an International Class by the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU)- pre-cursor to the ISAF.
This prestigious status is applied only to sailing classes with strict one-design rules, that are sailed the world over, and that regularly have international competition- such as World and Continental Championships. The International Sailing Association (ISAF) (replacement organization for the IYRU) currently governs the Class Rules of the International FJ Class. As an International Class, rights and control of the boat design rest with the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).
Today (2000), the International FJ is sailed in Japan, Germany, Italy, Belgium, The Netherlands, and the USA.
FJ Builders
The original FJ builder was Doesburg, of Germany. Doesburg built boats until the mid-1970's. By the early 1960's, Jachtwerf van Dusseldorp (VanDusseldorp Yachtworks) of Loosdrecht, Holland was also building Flying Juniors. "Dusseldorp" built beautiful cold-molded wood doublebottom International FJs for many years, ready-made, and as kits. Sadly, by 1998, Dusseldorp had ceased production (of FDs and FJs), ending the commercial availability of wooden FJs.
A backpage ad for VanDusseldorp FJs from a 1977 "Flying Junior Bulletin", the International Class Newsletter
Image Copyright IFJO, Beef Graffix scan
The Class Rules of the FJ allow any deck design; Dusseldorp FJs utilized a doublebottom design, especially suited to open-water sailing. Note the open transom, allowing large amounts of water to escape almost as fast as it can enter the hull. These hulls were the fastest FJs for at least the first 15 years of the Class' existence. They are still competitive today.- ed.
From the beginning, the Class Rules of the FJ allowed any individual, or company to build the boat. As a result, there have been many FJ builders. Early European builders included Galletti (Italy), Tiptree (Great Britain), Doesburg (Germany), and Botterill (Australia).
About 1960, Advance Sailboat Corporation, of Parkville, Missouri began to build FJs out of fiberglass. This was the first U. S. builder. Advance later moved to Independence, MO, where the boats were built in limestone caves, which provided perfect temperature and humidity control for using the thennew fiberglass material. About 1980 the business was sold, where it operated for a short time as Dolphin Sailboats, before closing. The molds are now owned by Jeff Moses (Moses Ark Sailboats).
Other North American builders included Paceship, and Skene (both Canada), Frank's Fiberglass (California), Dynamic Plastics (now H&H Sailcraft) (New Paris, OH), Southern Ohio Sailcraft, Sailnetics, Wiley Hall, and Cabellero (all of San Francisco), Moses Ark (Iowa), Vanguard (WI) and others. The only currently active U.S. builder is H&H Sailcraft.
The Vanguard Racing Model Flying Junior
In 1976 Vanguard (Harken) began to build racing FJs using a new tank design, without seats, modeled after their International 470 Class boat. This design eventually revolutionized FJ design in the United States, making the "rolled tank FJ" the preferred design. Vanguard, from 1974 through 1979, was the leading U.S. FJ builder, building boats in quantities never seen before or since.
The "Club Junior" or "CJ"
About 1979, Vanguard made a new hull mold ("Mold #2") which produced hulls that would not measure under International FJ Class Rules. Vanguard elected to continue using the defective mold, to make boats that were called "CJs" (Collegiate or Club Juniors), built for rugged club and/or college use. Vanguard hulls can be identified by the mold plate in the transom; hulls manufactured using Mold No. 1 generally Measure, illegal ones are on later numbered molds.
Note that only an official measurement of any hull by a Class Measurer, after building, using official templates, can determine if a boat is a legal FJ.
The Vanguard sailboat business was sold, and "Vanguard Racing Sailboats" continues to build "CJs". Later, Johnson Boatworks also made CJs, before selling the business and molds to Catalina Yachts (as of 1998). Catalina contracts their one-design building to Performance Catamaran. Johnson/Catalina/Performance Catamaran boats also will not Measure as International FJs.
FJUS offers a separate division for CJs at all major events, such as U.S. Nationals, and East or West Regional Championships. CJs generally compete on an equal basis in local or Fleet racing.
Identifying Older FJs
FJs built before 1972 are best identified through the hull serial number (on the transom), or the sail number. FJUS has records that should identify the original owner, builder, and build date of all FJs where a sail number has been issued. These are crossreferenced so that any one of the applicable numbers (hull serial no., Builder's Plaque No., Sail Number) should make identification possible. Contact the FJUS National President for information.
Class Rules Evolution- a summary of major revisions made to the Class Rules
Under consideration, as of 1/1/00: a larger spinnaker, slightly larger main.
Class Presidents, FJUS
1972-73 Gerald Wheatley, Overland Park, Kansas
1974-76 Woody Woodward, Foster City, California
1976- 80 Randy Oates, Little Rock, Arkansas
1980- 81 Gerry Lehman, Gary, IN
1982- 86 Mike Wyatt, Cleveland, Ohio
1987- 88 Steve Klotz, San Carlos, California
1989- 92 Dave Wallace, San Francisco, California
1993- 94 Jeff Moses, Solon, Iowa/Bruce Reichert, Cleveland, Ohio (Co-Presidents)
1995- 96 Sean Dyer, Sunnyvale, California
1997- 99 Steve Klotz, San Carlos, California
2000- 03 Mike Wyatt, Cleveland, OH
2003- 04 Tom Wyatt, Columbus, OH
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Mike Wyatt is a former FJUS National President.