We built 4 O-jols in 2023, designed by Juan K Yacht Design. A. The O-jol is a one-design class, originally conceived for the 1936 Olympic Games, hence the name Olympia-jol. The boat is sailed by one person. Dutch sailor Daan Kagchelland won Olympic gold in the class that year. Until Marit Bouwmeester won Olympic gold in 2016, this was the only boat in which the Netherlands had won Olympic gold at the Games.
In March 2022, O-jol sailors Onno Yntema and Sybrand Vochteloo approached us to ask whether we would be interested in building new Olympia-jols. Paul Dijkstra, a familiar figure in racing and builder of Solo 673, was keen to take on the project.
The design process
The Olympia-jol design had remained unchanged for years, so we felt it was time to look at it from a different perspective. Who better to involve in the project than the designer of the winning Star and Finn boats at previous Olympic Games? The choice of Juan K was an easy one, and we were honoured that he wanted to be part of the project. Juan K is also known for the Volvo Ocean Race boats Ericsson III and IIII, ABN Amro I and II, and Groupama.
The Olympia-jol design process was fascinating. Juan K is a true artist and started from scratch with the Olympia-jol design. He created several hull designs for us and explained the reasoning behind the choices he made for each one. Everything is drawn in 3D on a computer and put through a range of simulations. Sybrand and Onno, who were also involved in the design process, then helped us with the deck layout. Ultimately, the following design performed best in all the tests, so we chose it.
Because a licence is required to build an Olympia-jol, we applied for one. It was granted in 2022 by the German Sailing Association (DSV). After the design was complete, Toon Neijman, a class measurer for the Watersportverbond, carried out a digital preliminary measurement to make sure our boats comply with the rules.
Building method
We made a mould from a plug that had been CNC-milled in 3D. After the design was finalised, Lance Tijhuis, a draftsman and work planner at PDC and also a racing sailor in the Solo class, took over the technical drawings. He drew everything in 3D and designed the mould so we could cure the boats in the autoclave. This allows us not only to apply a vacuum to the boats, but also to cure them under pressure and at elevated temperatures.
In 2023, we built 4 O-jols, which their owners are now fitting out with hardware and rigging. We do not have the capacity in our workshop to take on more O-jols in 2024, as our workshop is already almost fully booked for the coming year.
