Official Roses x J-Craft - Part I
On June 6th – the national day of Sweden – we went to the beautiful island of Gotland, in the middle of the Baltic Sea, for a very special project. We went to visit the shipyard of the sublime Swedish boat manufacturer J-Craft, and what better way to celebrate the Swedish national day than together with a company whose first boat ever made was for no one else than the Swedish King Carl XVI Gustav!
J Craft
The Official. Roses x J-Craft project will feature a series of articles where we proudly present everything you need to know about one of the finest boat manufacturers in the world. From the history and philosophy of J-Craft, to the design, craftsmanship, performance and technology behind the glorious Torpedo model, to our impressions from our visit at the shipyard.
Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
J Craft
Swedish boat building heritage, which goes all the way to the Vikings some 1000 years ago, dictates solid construction and a meticulous approach to craftsmanship. For centuries, Sweden’s harsh climate and unique geography have driven local craftsmen to construct robust, manoeuvrable boats that can withstand the punishing elements of the far north. The island of Gotland in the middle of the Baltic Sea has for generations been the home and the heart of Swedish boat building and it is here where J Craft carries these fine traditions into the 21st century.
J Craft
The cornerstones of the exclusive J-Craft brand are technology, passion, heritage and style. J-Craft has quietly produced bespoke work of arts for the yachting aficionado as a passion project for the meticulous yachtsman who demands detail, style and performance rather than a mainstream production boat. It is simply built for the few but appreciated by the many. In fact five of the world’s billionaires own a J-Craft! Furthermore, J-Craft has co-designed a stunning boat with Rolls-Royce as well as partnered up with Sportmer and established a sales and service presence in the iconic Vieux Port of Saint Tropez, opening a new chapter in the J Craft story.
J Craft
The story began 20 years ago when entrepreneur Björn Jansson had the idea to build his own dream boat; a fiberglass hull with a mahogany veneer inspired by the beautiful lines and styling of the wooden sport boats of the 1950s’ and '60s’. Björn consulted with local boat builder Johan Hallén about the methods and tools for building such a boat and within ten days Björn had gathered several orders – the first of which would be built for the King of Sweden himself. J Craft was born in August of 1999 with three employees – including Johan Hallén – and quickly grew into a team of 35 builders and craftsmen, who worked around the clock to build the first boat for the Swedish Royal Family. One year later, in the summer of 2000, the 11.6m (38ft) Cabrio Cruiser, Polaris, was delivered to her owner, His Majesty Carl Gustaf XVl, King of Sweden. At just under 12 metres in length, the Cabrio Cruiser featured a GRP hull with a mahogany veneer and was powered by Yanmar Engines. In the years that followed, J Craft went on to build seven Cabrio Cruisers for discerning clientele around the Mediterranean Sea. But for Björn, the J Craft story would pause in the early years of the new millennium due to his unfortunately fast declining health. For a time, the mould and assets were stored and laid on ice. By the middle of 2005, however, a group of passionate J Craft aficionados would resume operations. Caught up in the J Craft spell, one of the original group, Johan Hallén, together with Johan Attvik embraced the J Craft brand and lifestyle and began promoting the company in Monaco and St. Tropez. In 2007, hedge fund manager and entrepreneur Radenko Milakovic and his wife Kristina would quietly acquire J Craft and rebuild the J Craft team around Johan Hallén as CTO to pick up from where they had left off. Having chartered a Cabrio Cruiser the previous summer, Radenko recalls that they were both so drawn to the J Craft styling, build quality and performance that they enquired about building a J Craft of their own - albeit one with some important modifications with a clear focus on the propulsion package. The inquiry led to them acquiring the company and its assets and continuing Björn Jansson’s quest for yachting perfection. Johan Hallén accepted the challenge of propelling Björn Jansson’s vision of retro styling, cutting-edge technology and superior performance into the 21st century. Tens of thousands of hours of research, design, testing, evaluation and finally mould and tool building by many members of the original J Craft team resulted in the revolutionary 12.8m (42ft) J Craft Torpedo, fitted with IPS-drives and joystick control. The first J Craft Torpedo was unveiled to the world in Saint Tropez Pampelonne Beach on July 19, 2009.
J Craft
Stay tuned for part two in this series of articles where we take a deeper look at the stunning J-Craft Torpedo!