I believe the old VJ was the fastest sharpie hulled boat, for length, at that time. When I was growing up only in cyclone winds were races canceled and then only because the safety boat was getting swamped. On a tight shy in a blow we used o keep up with the I14s.. Helps if one has a light weight boat and a low aspect rig in those conditions.. Having the ablilty to have effectively two kids on trap also helps!! Also we used woolen "jumpers" to keep us warm. The added advantage is 4 wet wool layers was almost as much as I weighted at that time!! Great boat but not for the faint hearted..

Boats like the VJ, mini skiffs (6, 8, 10 & 12) and later Flying Ant & Cherub, I suspect account for the great strength in Aussie and NZ sailing skill levels and boat design leadership in past generations.