how are Boat, Yacht, and Cruiser classes evaluated? (eg. J-Class, K-class destroyer)?

Answer 1

well, regarding j class yachts:

"The New York Yacht Club's racing fleet was classified by letters. Schooners and ketches were divided into eight classes ranging from A Class, the largest at over 100 feet down to H Class, the smallest at under 31 feet. Sloops and yawls started with I Class, the largest at over 88 feet, followed by J Class (yachts between 75 and 87 feet on the waterline), down through the letters to Q Class, the smallest at under 30 feet.

When Sir Thomas Lipton issued his fifth and final challenge for the America's Cup in 1929, it was agreed that the event would take place in J Class yachts built to the American Universal Rule. This decision heralded the start of yachts being built to this class and rule in the UK. In all four were built, Shamrock V, Endeavour, Endeavour II, and Velsheda, however, a number of the "Big Class", Britannia, White Heather II, Astra and Candida, were altered to conform with the rule.

Unlike all other J Class yachts, which carried the letter J on their mainsails, Britannia always retained the Letter K and her number - 1.

An interesting story is told about the King querying why the class was called J. He is reported to have observed that it should have been the A Class. Why ? "A" for adultery, because apart from T.B.F. Davis, the owner of the schooner Westward, which raced with the J Class, and himself, none of the other owners still had his original wife!!"

Answer 2

adding to the post about J boats....

the sails on the J boats...and the 12 meters used for the Americas Cup...would carry the number for an American boat, K plus number for a Brit, KA plus number for an Aussie, KNZ plus number for Kiwis, etc etc

sailboat classes are evaluated based on how they are designed; if to a racing rule....12 meter, America's Cup, One Ton, Volvo 60..they are designed to fit a racing rule; boats may have a few slight difference but that are all within the class rules.

Some class rules......J-24's, J 27, are all identical boast, in this case built by Johnson Yachts.

Cruising sailboats aren't built to racing rules, but to a design the designer/builder thinks will sell; in the case of fiberglass boat they are all built out of the same mold, so a Whoop de Do 36, hull number 1 is identical to hull number 50.

Warships are a little trickier.....generally a number will be built with the same hull design and be considered a "class". As time goes on weapons and sensors will change so there is individuality within a class, but the hulls are the same.

In the case of the K class destroyers you asked about....the Brits ever since 1918 tended to name all the destroyers in a certain class with the same first letter,,,,,,,,so you would have had Kelly, Kashmir and Kandahar in the K class of destroyers; modern era you had Antelope, Audacious and Ardent. It had a nice alliterative ring to it and helped identify at a glance just what type of ship you were talking about; easier than say American practice. Generally the first ship of a design gave her name to the whole class that followed; so Paul Foster was a Spruance class DD , named for Admiral Ray Spruance; but you could also have Samuel B Roberts, a Knox class frigate named for a WW1 Naval Hero and a heroic WW2 destroyer escort; Halsey, a cruiser named for Adm Bill Halsey; Bob Hope, a stores and supply ship named for the comedian actor who did so much for US troops, and John Stennis, an aircraft carrier of the Nimitz class named for a politician who did a lot for the Navy ( as in $) over the years.

Gone are the days when Battleships were named for states, Battlecruisers for territories( there you go nitpickers.name the two US "Large Cruisers" that were classed CC's,) Cruisers for Cities, Destroyers for naval heroes...and submarines for fish!