Japec Jakopin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 19 April 1951 |
| Occupation | CEO of J&J Design |
| Years active | 1971 - present |
| Spouses |
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| Children | Tilen, Eva, Jakob, Gitica and Jadran |
Japec Jakopin (pron. Yapets Yacopeen), born 19 April 1951, is the CEO of J&J Design, a pleasure boat design company, based in Slovenia, which he founded in 1983, together with his brother Jernej. Jakopin is most known as a yacht concept designer. [1] [2]
Jakopin was born in 1951 in Brežice, Slovenia. The family lived in the nearby village of Leskovec pri Krškem. [3]
Japec began freediving at the age of six and learned to sail by the age of 13. [4] From 1964 to 1972 he competed in diving at the Ljubljana Swimming Club. In 1964 he achieved 2nd place at the Slovenian championship and 3rd at the Yugoslavian championship (junior category, up to 15 years), in 1965 he won both championships, in 1967 and 1968 he won both championships in youth category (up to 18 years, in both disciplines: 3 m springboard and 10 m platform). In 1972 he was Yugoslavian champion in 10 m platform. [5]
After graduating from the Medical school at the University of Ljubljana in 1974 he pursued an academic career at that school's Institute of Physiology and at the University Medical Centre, Department of Intensive Internal Medicine. In 1977 he obtained a master's degree in cardiology, of problems connected to arrhythmia, also during freediving, in 1980 a PhD and in 1981 the title academic specialist in cardiology. [6] In 1983 he resigned from his academic (and medical) career because of political issues. [4]
During his academic years Jakopin spent his weekends in the Croatian seaside town of Punat building do-it-yourself boats, and later learned the charter yacht business. [4] After leaving the medical profession in 1983 Japec, together with his younger brother Jernej, founded J&J Design studio, for production yacht design. [2] [7] In 1983 they designed the Elan 31 sailing boat for the Elan sporting goods factory of Begunje, Slovenia, followed by Elan 33. Between 1983 and 1987 Elan sold 940 units of the Elan 31, Elan 33 and Elan 43, increasing its marine sales from DEM 2 million to DEM 32 million. [4] In 1987, Japec took a marketing and sales manager job at the French sailboat and powerboat builder Jeanneau where he stayed until 1990. In the meantime J&J Design continued designing boats for Jeanneau and several other European boatyards. [4]
In 1989 the two brothers founded Seaway, also in Slovenia, to expand J&J Design activities to engineering, tooling and prototyping for boat manufacturers. By 2000 Seaway became the only independent company outside major yacht builders that could engage in the entire development process - from design to prototype and final moulds, and its revenue grew to 6.6 million euros. [2] [8] The list of clients included Bavaria, Beneteau and Jeanneau. [2] In 2001 KD Group, the largest Slovenian private finance group, invested 3 million euros in the company, for a 50% share and a request for change of strategy to own boat production. Investment enabled the purchase of a robot for precise prototype and mould production, required by Seaway's customers and acquisition of new, larger premises for installation of the new tool. [8]
Seaway produced a limited number of high-class yachts and powerboats, the Shipman carbon sailboat line from 2002 and Skagen powerboat line from 2004. [2] [7]
The Shipman 50 and Shipman 63 won the 2003 and 2006 European Boat of the Year Award at the Boot Düsseldorf boat show.
In 2009 a hybrid powerboat with diesel, electric and solar propulsion was developed and produced, [9] the 33 feet (10 m) long Greenline Hybrid 33 (GH 33). It also won the 2010 European Boat of the Year Award at the Boot Düsseldorf boat show. Its main appeal besides the hybrid propulsion with zero-emission and no-noise sailing was the constant availability of 110/230 VAC power for appliances. [10] It sold 400 units by 2015, claimed to be the best-selling 10 m boat in 2010 and 2011, [11] [12] and was followed by larger models, GL 40 in 2011, Greenline Ocean Class 70 in 2012 and GL 48 in 2014. [13] [14]
Hybrid technology was also applied to a Seaway's sailing boat, to the Shipman 59 Carbon, designed together with Doug Peterson and the French naval architect Guillaume Verdier. [15] [16]
In 2014 Seaway was in no shortage of orders for boats, but the enduring credit crunch after the 2008 crisis crippled further production and in 2015 both divisions of the company went out of business. [17]
In the meantime Jakopin brothers reestablished J&J Design as an independent company [18] [19] while the boatbuilding part of Seaway (Greenline and Shipman families) was taken over by SVP Yachts (Vladimir Zinchenko). [20] [21] [22] [23] The renewed venture continued to provide design as well as boat engineering and production process engineering for vessels from 20 to 80 feet, to major volume boatbuilders in the power and sailing area, including the Greenline builder SVP Yachts. [24] Until 2024 J&J Design produced over 350 designs from which 75.000 boats were built, by boatbuilders in 30 countries. [25] They won over 110 Boat of the Year, Design or Environmental awards. [26]
During the Boat Builder Awards 2024 event in Amsterdam, organized by RAI Amsterdam and Boat International Media, Japec and Jernej Jakopin, the founders of J&J Design, were awarded the title of "Designer of the Year", as pioneers in carbon epoxy and hybrid power technologies as well as for their influence across a wide part of the boatbuilding industry. [25]
Jakopin was engaged in promoting new ideas in naval design, especially in the area of hybrid boat propulsion and environment friendly technologies, through lectures, [27] [28] public presentations [29] [30] and work in professional associations such as the Slovenian Academy of Engineering. [31] In October 2021 he won three gold medals in the freediving world championship in Kaş, Turkey in the category over 70 years: in constant weight monofin dive, in free immersion and in constant weight bifin dive. As of 2021 Jakopin held three world records in the above category, in free immersion, bifin and monofin classes. [32]
At the Freediving Indoor World Championship 2022, in June in Belgrade, Serbia he repeated the achievement from Kaş in Masters 70+ category, in Bifins (164 m), Monofin (186 m) and Static apnea (7 minutes 6 seconds) disciplines. In 2022 these results were the world records for the category. [33] In Monofin and Static apnea they were also the best for all groups over 50 years of age. [34] [35] [36]
During the CMAS Finswimming World Masters Championship on June 25 and 26, 2023 in Cairo, Egypt, Jakopin won four gold medals in 70-74 age group: 50 meter surface swimming with monofin (SF), 50 and 100 meter bi-fins (BF), and 50 meter apnoea with monofin (AP). [37] [38] [39] The results achieved in 50 m BF (27.15 s), 100 m BF (1 m 2.78 s) and 50 m AP (21.70 s) were world records for the age group. [40] At the Mediterranea Cup (September 7 to 10 2023) in Cefalu, Italy, he ranked 4th over all age groups in the CWT discipline with a dive to 80 m. [41] [42] Also in 2023, at the CMAS 6th Freediving Outdoor World Cup from October 7 to 15 in Kalamata, Greece, he achieved two world records in the Masters 70+ age group (M5) : constant weight bifin dive (76 m), and constant weight monofin dive (75 m). [43] [44]
At the CMAS Freediving Outdoor World Championship 2024 (October 2nd to 13th) in Kalamata, Greece, Jakopin won gold medals in the 70+ Masters age group in CWT, CWTB and FIM disciplines, and established a CWTB world record for his age group with a dive to 77 m. [45]
Freediving, free-diving, free diving, breath-hold diving, or skin diving, is a mode of underwater diving that relies on breath-holding until resurfacing rather than the use of breathing apparatus such as scuba gear.
Spearfishing is fishing using handheld elongated, sharp-pointed tools such as a spear, gig, or harpoon, to impale the fish in the body. It was one of the earliest fishing techniques used by mankind, and has been deployed in artisanal fishing throughout the world for millennia. Early civilizations were familiar with the custom of spearing fish from rivers and streams using sharpened sticks.
Swimfins, swim fins, diving fins, or flippers are finlike accessories worn on the feet, legs or hands and made from rubber, plastic, carbon fiber or combinations of these materials, to aid movement through the water in water sports activities such as swimming, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, float-tube fishing, kneeboarding, riverboarding, scuba diving, snorkeling, spearfishing, underwater hockey, underwater rugby and various other types of underwater diving.
A monofin is a type of swimfin typically used in underwater sports such as finswimming, free-diving and underwater orienteering. It consists of a single or linked surfaces attached to both of the diver's feet, emulating the fluke of Cetaceans like whales or porpoises. Even though the diver's appearance might be reminiscent of a mermaid or merman, monofin swimming is not the same as mermaiding.
Finswimming is an underwater sport consisting of four techniques involving swimming with the use of fins either on the water's surface using a snorkel with either monofins or bifins or underwater with monofin either by holding one's breath or using open circuit scuba diving equipment. Events exist over distances similar to swimming competitions for both swimming pool and open water venues. Competition at world and continental level is organised by the Confédération Mondiale des Activités Subaquatiques. The sport's first world championship was held in 1976. It also has been featured at the World Games as a trend sport since 1981 and was demonstrated at the 2015 European Games in June 2015.
Natalia Vadimovna Molchanova was a Russian champion freediver, multiple world record holder, and the former president of the Russian Free Dive Federation. Described as "possibly the world’s greatest freediver," Molchanova set an unparalleled standard in the sport. She believed, “Freediving is not only a sport, it is a way to understand who you are,” reflecting her deep connection to the sport. Throughout her career, she achieved 42 world records and earned 22 world championship medals, 19 of which were gold.
Primož Jakopin, born 30 June 1949 is a Slovenian computer scientist, known for his work in the field of language technology and his contribution to speleology.
Association Internationale pour le Développement de l'Apnée (AIDA) is a worldwide rule- and record-keeping body for competitive breath holding events, also known as freediving. It sets standards for safety, comparability of Official World Record attempts and freedive education. AIDA International is the parent organization for national clubs of the same name. AIDA World Championships are periodically held.
Constant weight (CWT) is a freediving discipline recognised by AIDA, the International Association for the Development of Apnea, in which the freediver descends and ascends using their monofin and/or with the use of their arms without pulling on the rope or changing their ballast; only a single hold of the rope to stop the descent and start the ascent is allowed. Constant weight is one of the eight disciplines considered for international competition, the others being constant weight bi-fins (CWTB), constant weight without fins (CNF), static apnea (STA), dynamic apnea without fins (DNF), dynamic with fins (DYN), free immersion (FIM), and dynamic apnea bi-fins (DYNB).
Static apnea (STA) is a discipline in which a person holds their breath (apnea) underwater for as long as possible, and need not swim any distance. Static apnea is defined by the International Association for Development of Apnea and is distinguished from the Guinness World Record for breath holding underwater, which allows the use of oxygen in preparation. It requires that the respiratory tract be immersed, with the body either in the water or at the surface, and may be performed in a pool or open water. Static apnea is the only AIDA International discipline measuring duration, and one of the three disciplines considered for the international competitions by team, with constant weight and dynamic with fins.
Underwater sports is a group of competitive sports using one or a combination of the following underwater diving techniques - breath-hold, snorkelling or scuba, usually including the use of equipment such as diving masks and fins. These sports are conducted in the natural environment at sites such as open water and sheltered or confined water such as lakes and in artificial aquatic environments such as swimming pools. Underwater sports include the following - aquathlon, finswimming, freediving, spearfishing, sport diving, underwater football, underwater hockey, underwater ice hockey, underwater orienteering, underwater photography, underwater rugby, underwater target shooting and underwater video.
Alexey Molchanov is a Russian champion freediver, multiple world champion, world record holder, and freediving promoter. He is also president of the "Freediving Federation" association, head of freediving school named in honor of Natalia Molchanova, and designer and engineer of the freediving equipment brand Molchanovs. Alexey is a son of Natalia Molchanova – multiple champion and world record holder in freediving.
Goran Čolak is a Croatian free-diver.
J&J Design is a naval architecture, design, boat and production-process engineering company, mainly for high-volume production sail and powerboat builders. It introduced the carbon-epoxy technology from the America's Cup into cruising sailboats with the Shipman line. J&J also designed and engineered the first serial production hybrid powerboats, the Greenline Hybrid range.
Nataliia Zharkova is a 2017 freediving champion of Europe and Ukraine. Zharkova holds multiple records in the discipline of freediving. She was also a freediving runner-up champion of the world in 2013. She is the first Ukrainian and the second woman to ever dive below the arch of the Blue Hole vertical underwater cave in Dahab, Egypt, on a single breath.
Alessia Zecchini is an Italian freediver who has set world and Italian records in freediving.
Sofía Gómez Uribe is a Colombian freediver and civil engineer. She holds six national records in three different freediving disciplines, a Bolivarian Games record set at the 2013 Games in Trujillo, Peru, that won her a gold medal in the Women's individual dynamic apnea free-diving event, and a Pan-American record in dynamic apnea with equipment.
Constant weight bi-fins, denoted by the acronym CWTB in competition notation, is a competitive freediving discipline wherein the freediver wears a pair of bi-fins to descend along the line with or without the use of their arms. Pulling on the rope or changing ballast will result in disqualification; only a single hold of the rope is allowed in order to turn and stop the descent and start the ascent. The diver is prohibited from using a dolphin kick; doing so will result in disqualification of the day's dive.
This article lists the in the water and on the water forms of aquatic sports for 2024.
