In the 1960's and 70's Dolphin 24's were the under 30' racing rage on the eastern end of Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound and out to Block Island. One of the major off shore racing clubs, the Off Soundings Club (OSC), holds Spring and Fall regattas, with total entries well over 100 boats

From 1965 to 1980, the under 30' Class B2 usually had 40-50 boats racing and was very competitive, including serveral America's Cup skippers. Six different Dolphin 24's won the Charles Koch Trophy 11 times In this 16 year period! This trophy is awarded yearly for the best combined performance in the Spring and Fall regattas.

Ron Noe is a marine architect, raced his Dolphin 24 (Encharette) in these regattas, and tells this story. He recalls sitting at one end of a picnic table under the regatta tent in 1974? after an OSC Spring Series race. In front of him he had a stretched out paper napkin on which he had 'ticked' off' a pencilled scale 24' line, and on which he was drawing hull lines for a '24 racing sailboat. The Dolphin 24 was the boat to beat in these regattas. Down at the other end of the same table was this guy named Rodney Johnstone with a paper napkin stretched out in front of him on which he had 'ticked' off' a pencilled scale 24' line, and on which he was drawing hull lines for a '24 racing sailboat.

As Ron puts it Rodney's sketch became the J 24, and the rest is history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J/24

*******************