Sopranino was built by Whittens Boatyard on the Thames, to a Laurent Giles design commissioned by Patrick Ellam in 1950

Built as the first boat to the JOG Rule, formulated by Ellam with the assistance of Capt. John Illingworth, she pioneered offshore racing in low cost small yachts.

Commissioned in early 1951, her first race was from Cowes to Santander in company with much larger Royal Ocean Racing Club yachts,

but competing hors concours as she was below the minimum size required by RORC to formally enter the race.

In November 1951, crewed by Colin Mudie ( now a noted naval architect),  Ellam departed from Falmouth to make passage across the Atlantic.

Arriving in Barbados after a passage of 28 days from the Canaries, Ellam and Mudie's voyage totally demonstrated the viability of the JOG Rule

Within a few years JOG fleets emerged in the UK, US,  France, Australia and New Zealand.

Founding  JOG members included Bruce Banks and  Ian Procter.  MIke Henderson was the first Secretary of the Club.

Many other well known offshore racing figures in the UK began their careers with JOG. 

In 2000, Sopranino was recovered from the US and restored to celebrate JOG's 50th anniversary in 2001.

To the present day, JOG supports and encourages low cost offshore racing for the amateur.

Entry is open to all but the largest racing yachts but strict enforcement of JOG's no advertising rule helps to provide a level playing field for all participants.     

In 2011, JOG celebrated the 60th anniversary of  Sopranino's departure for the US with a week of racing at Falmouth UK  

For further details see www.jog.org.uk and "Sopranino" by Patrick Ellam and Colin Mudie, Published by Minim Books.