Known as Project J8 while in build, the 42.62 metre J Class yacht Topaz was launched from HJB’s shipyard in Zaandam, The Netherlands.

Holland Jachtbouw (HJB) has launched J8 , now named Topaz. The latest J Class yacht has been hotly anticipated and now brings the J Class Association fleet to a total of eight yachts on the water.

Designed inside and out by Andre Hoek, Topaz’s hull design features a reduced wetted surface and higher keel aspect ratio to the longest waterline found on J Class yacht measuring nearly 27 metres. As a long waterline length is often tied to swifter performance, this raises the question: will the newly launched J Class yacht Topaz be the fastest in the J Class fleet?

She will be put to the test in the coming days as she undergoes sea trials and commissioning, overseen by project managers from HJB, Cornelsen and Partners and the Hoek Design office.

How she stacks up compared to the rest of the Js will only be discovered in J Class events in the years to come. Getting the chance to compete against other J Class yachts in an elite fleet is just one of the many reasons to buy a J Class yacht.