j yacht endeavour

In total nine J Class yachts are currently active, including three original surviving Js - Velsheda, Shamrock and Endeavour - and six replicas that have been built since 2003; Ranger, Rainbow, Hanuman, Lionheart, Topaz and Svea.

Endeavour, JK4

Velsheda, JK7

Rainbow, JKZ1

Shamrock V, JK3

Hanuman JK6

Lionheart, JH1

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The ultimate J Class yachtspotter’s guide

The J Class is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and powerful classes of sailing yacht in the world. An original fleet of 10 was constructed in the 1930s for the purpose of competing in the America’s Cup, but in a sad twist of fate, only a few were able to survive the cull for metal during World War II. Some were later salvaged from the scrapheap and rebuilt as modern-day racers while others were constructed as replicas by owners who admired their classic lines and racing credentials. Nine J Class sailing yachts race today but could you tell an original from a replica? Could you identify which J Class yacht is which by its sail number? Here's an essential guide to the J Class fleet... 

Sail number : JK3 Length : 36.5m Year of build : 1929

With more than 80 years under her keel, Shamrock V is one of the most historic sailing yachts still afloat today having been built by Camper & Nicholsons in 1929. Her current owner bought Shamrock V in March 2016 and in the process inherited a legacy. This 36.58 metre is the original J Class yacht and the only one with a wooden hull to have survived to the present day. Her original owner Sir Thomas Lipton is remembered as the lovable loser of the America’s Cup , having unsuccessfully challenged on five separate occasions between 1899 and 1930, taking each defeat with characteristic good grace.

Sail number : JK4 Length : 39.56m Year of build : 1934

Endeavour was launched by Camper & Nicholsons in 1934 and is hailed as one of the most iconic sailing yachts in the world . Commissioned by Sir Thomas Sopwith, this 39.56 metre design was a highly rated contender heading into the 16th America’s Cup, but ended up losing 4-2 to Harold S. Vanderbilt's Rainbow . However, this is widely acknowledged to have been more down to tactics than design or performance. After spending the better part of 50 years languishing in obscurity, she was meticulously restored by Dutch yard Royal Huisman in 1989 and was most recently refitted in 2011 by New Zealand yard Yachting Developments . 

Sail number : JK7 Length : 38.5m Year of build : 1933/2016

Velsheda was built in steel in 1933 for WL Stephenson, the chairman of Woolworths in Britain, and named after his three daughters Velma, Sheila and Daphne. This 38.5 metre yacht is the only original J Class not to have been built for the America's Cup . Between 1937 and 1984 she languished in a mud berth on the Hamble River before scrap-metal merchant Terry Brabant rescued her and chartered her on a shoestring budget with no engine, mostly in the Solent but also in the Caribbean. In 1996 she was purchased by Dutch fashion entrepreneur Ronald de Waal who commissioned Southampton Yacht Services to rebuild her. Since then de Waal has raced her extensively .

Sail number : J5 Length : 41.55m Year of build : 2003

Ranger is a 41.55 metre replica of the J Class yacht of the same name, which was built for the 1937 America’s Cup by a syndicate led by railroad heir Harold Vanderbilt. Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens had been asked to produce eight sets of lines and the one selected as most suitable for the conditions expected off Newport, Rhode Island — design number 77C — was one of Burgess', although Stephens later helped with some refinements. Known as 'The Super J', the original  Ranger comprehensively beat Endeavour II in the Cup and won all but two of the other 33 races in which she competed that year. She never sailed after that and was broken up in 1941. With the design optimised by Reichel-Pugh , the new Ranger was built in steel — true to the original but unlike the subsequent modern Js — by Danish Yachts in 2003 for an American owner. 

Sail number : JK6 Length : 42.1m Year of build : 2009

The reincarnation of the 1937 launch Endeavour II , Hanuman was launched in 2009 by Dutch shipyard Royal Huisman . This 42.1 metre yacht features her predecessor’s original Charles E. Nicholson design, while the underwater geometry is courtesy of Dykstra Naval Architects . After completing the rebuilds of Endeavour , Shamrock V and Velsheda , Hanuman was Dykstra's first J Class new build project. Commissioned by serial yacht owner Jim Clark , Hanuman is named after the son of the Hindu wind god, which it flies on its spinnaker, and her regatta performances have backed up this name. She took first place at the 2017 St Barths Bucket , which saw six J Class yachts battling it out on the high seas.

Sail number : JH1 Length : 43.4m Year of build : 2010

Lionheart is based on Burgess and Stephens design number 77F, which was one of those rejected in favour of 77C for the 1937 America’s Cup. However, after extensive research by Hoek Design Naval Architects , 77F was considered to be the best set of lines for the variety of racing conditions likely to be encountered at regattas around the world today. Lionheart was built in aluminium by Bloemsma and Claasen Jachtbouw in Holland, and was launched in the summer of 2010. Her first owner's business commitments forced him to sell her and she was purchased in mid-2011 by Dutchman Harold Goddijn, the founder of Tom Tom. At 43.4 metres overall and with a stunning 17 metre overhang, she is the second longest J afloat. Lionheart became the first Hoek-designed J to hit the race course and made its debut at the Superyacht Cup in Palma.

Sail number : JH2 Length : 39.96m Year of build : 2012

The original Rainbow was launched in 1934 at the Herreshoff yard in New England after a mere 100 days under construction and went on to win the America’s Cup in the same year. However, she was requisitioned during World War II and eventually scrapped. The modern Rainbow  is an altogether more high-tech affair — built at Holland Jachtbouw in 2012 as the fourth of the new generation Js. She was built for an experienced sailing yacht owner to a design by Dykstra Naval Architects and is the first J to be fitted with a hybrid propulsion and power system. Rainbow is currently listed for sale . When heeled over, its red underside is a dead giveaway for yachtspotters out there.

Sail number: J8 Length : 42.62m Year of build : 2015

Topaz is based on an unbuilt 1938 design by Frank C Paine, the son of the three-time America’s Cup winner General Charles J Paine. Her modern aluminium incarnation measures 42.62 metres and was launched by Dutch yard Holland Jachtbouw  in 2015. Hoek Design Naval Architects, who styled Topaz inside and out, describe her as “a good all-round performer”. She was the longest J by waterline length at the time of her launch but was later dethroned by Svea .

Sail number : JS1 Length : 43.6m Year of build : 2017

The newest and longest member of the J Class fleet, Svea was launched by Dutch yard Vitters in February 2017 measuring 43.6 metres. Her design by Hoek Design Naval Architects incorporates an integrated traditional long keel from the original 1937 drawings by Swedish designer Thore Holm, which were unearthed by yachting historian John Lammerts van Beuren. However, the designers have brought the 75-year-old design right up-to-date with an aluminium hull and 53.75 metre carbon fibre main mast. As a result, Svea displaces just 182 tonnes — two tonnes less than Hanuman and six tonnes less than Ranger .

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If you have any questions about the Endeavour information page below please contact us .

Sailing yacht ‘Endeavour’ is a 130 foot J Class classic sailing sloop which was launched in 1934 and embodies one of the most formidable and famous sailing yachts in the world. Following her 2011 refit, she is in an ‘as new’ condition and is ready and waiting to give you the exhilaration of the powerful sailing of yesteryear. Her high sailing performance is matched only by her truly elegant interior accommodations and extremely high standard of craftsmanship, catering, service and facilities.

Sailing yacht Endeavour has now been almost entirely rebuilt in such a way that her quality of workmanship and sleek lines are entirely consistent with her original condition. She does, however, boast the recent technology and increased performance of a modern yacht. She has a powerful engine and generators as well as bow thrusters, an aluminium mast and boom, hydraulic winches and a water-maker and all the latest electronic entertainment and navigation and equipment one could desire.

Endeavour's saloon and dining area is an amazingly memorable space for charter guests to relax and entertain. Her interior joinery is American Cherry wood raised panels, nickel plated fixtures and locust sole.

The crew of classic charter yacht Endeavour are professional and amongst the best in the business. They include the captain, first mate, engineer, chef, steward, stewardess, as well as three deckhands. The fantastic friendly crew will pamper you with first-class service and absolutely fabulous cuisine during your yacht charter. As a lady who has been brought into the contemporary world, Endeavour provides all the modern electrical entertainment systems and yacht water toys. Have you ever helmed just a famous, powerful and impressive classic yacht? It will be no problem if you wish to spend most of your day helming the greatest yacht in the world, the mighty Endeavor under full sail!

Endeavour Specifications

Sailing yacht Endeavour has been awarded the best Refitted yacht at the 2013 World Superyacht Awards and her extensive 18month refit, which concluded in October 2011, included the replacement of the complete weather deck, new deck equipment, relocation of steel deck framing, reconfiguration of the accommodation forward and new interior.  The main engine, electrical system, electronics, air conditioning, hydraulics bow thruster and winches were all replaced.  A new carbon fibre mast was built by Southern Spars and the new interior was built in house by Yachting Developments tradesmen.  Dykstra & Partners, Naval Architects, have been instrumental in the design of the new sail plan, deck layout, and structural engineering. The interior was collaborated by John Munford and Adam Lay Design Studios to ensure the originality of the boat was maintained.  Care was taken throughout the refit to preserve as much of the vessel as practical, yet still enhance performance and improve functionality.  

Yacht Accommodation

Classic Sailing yacht Endeavour is remarkably comfortable with accommodation for up to eight guests in four staterooms - two with queen berths, one with a king berth and one with twin berths. The staterooms adjoin their own baths with lovely heated towel bars and nickel plated shower enclosures. Endeavour’s master bathroom also features an over-sized bath tub.

Amenities and Extras

Luxury classic sailing yacht Endeavour offers the following amenities for your yacht charter vacation: a Zodiac Mark 2 tender with a 25 h.p. out-board engine, two wind-surfers, a dive compressor and a water maker. In the yacht’s Saloon is a 25 inch TV with VCR and an N.A.D. music system with a CD player and there are both indoor and outdoor speakers, a large library of CDs movies etc. Her Master stateroom also provides a Hi Fi music system with a CD player. Sailing yacht Endeavour is fully air conditioned throughout the interior in all of her staterooms. The yacht has up to date modern communication and navigation electronic equipment.

Endeavour Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht Endeavour displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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Camper & Nicholsons became known for its fast, wooden racing sailing yachts, which included the famed J-Class sloops that competed in the America’s Cup Races of the early 20th century, including two J-Class boats commissioned by Sir Thomas Sopwith, Endeavour and Endeavour II.

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J Class Sailing Yacht Endeavour Completes Refit

By Ben Roberts

Originally launched in 1934 by Camper & Nicholsons shipyard, the iconic J Class sloop Endeavour was proudly launched by Yachting Developments at their facilities in Auckland last week after an extensive 18 month refit project.

The 39m sailing yacht Endeavour was built in 1934 for Sir T.O.M Sopwith, a man who had a vision of competing in a wide variety of high-class regattas with an unrivalled sailing yacht. Since her launch, Endeavour has gathered a formidable history and has passed through a number of dedicated sailing enthusiasts over her 46 years.

Now, this stunning yacht has emerged from the Yachting Developments shipyard a new superyacht and a formidable racing opponent. Absolute care has been taken throughout the refit to preserve as much of the vessel as practical while taking advantage of twenty first century sailing systems, enhanced performance and improved functionality.

The comprehensive refit includes removal and replacement of the complete weather deck including all deck equipment. Steel deck framing has also been relocated to accommodate the new load paths of the new deck layout.

There has been a long term philosophy of longevity and serviceability throughout the refit ensuring Endeavour will remain the historic icon she is today for future generations.

Naval Architects, Dykstra & Partners, were reportedly instrumental in the design of the new sail plan, deck layout, and structural engineering. Alongside the structural changes, the main engines, generators, hydraulic systems, winches, electrical system, electronics, bow thruster and air conditioning have been replaced or upgraded.

Accommodation forward of the mast has been reconfigured by John Munford and Adam Lay, whilst the new interior design has been built by the in-house tradesmen of Yachting Developments.

Yachting Developments Managing Director Ian Cook describes working on Endeavour as “ an honor, she is something special, everyone involved has put their heart and soul into the refit, I think the care, and passion is very evident in the end result” .

After completing her final sea trials, Endeavour will have one last tune up on Auckland Harbor before being shipped to the Northern Hemisphere in February to compete in the 2012 J Class regattas: timed to coincide with the Olympic Games in London.

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ENDEAVOUR 1 – HISTORY & 1934 CHALLENGE FOR THE AMERICA’S CUP.

It is 22 June 1935, and Endeavour 1 is pictured here racing against five other J Class yachts in the Lymington Yacht Club Regatta. She has rounded a buoy off Ryde and is now on her run back towards Lymington. She is sailing in a light breeze, the very conditions that she was designed to excel in, her royal blue hull reflecting the waves being parted by her long, graceful bow. The crew are easing forward her spinnaker pole, and she is surging along nice and comfortably through a light Solent sea haze.

Her owner, Tommy Sopwith, made his fortune manufacturing some 18,000 aircraft for the RAF during the First World War. (He went on to make a further fortune building the Hurricane fighter aircraft during the Second World War). He is pictured here at Endeavour’s wheel, whilst his wife, Phil, wearing her customary sunglasses, sits right aft with their guests who have joined them for that day’s race.

The previous year, 1934, Sopwith had challenged for the America’s Cup and had asked Charles Nicholson of Camper & Nicholson in Gosport to design and build the new boat for him. Sopwith was an experienced helmsman having owned a number of successful 12-metre yachts. In 1932 he had acquired Shamrock V in order to familiarise himself with the handling of the much larger J class yachts. This gave him a clear idea of what he expected Nicholson to deliver, whilst his innovative work in aircraft design was brought to bear on the design of the mast and the sail plan of Endeavour 1.

Sopwith’s arrival in the J Class racing scene was certainly a game changer. Up and to that time the British Big Class yachts had been in charge of a professional skipper, with the owner often viewing the performance of his yacht from a vantage point ashore, if indeed he attended the regatta at all. Sopwith represented a more Corinthian attitude, where the owner was an active participant in racing the yacht. His wife acted as the time keeper at the start of each race. A competent helmswoman in her own right she occasionally took over steering Endeavour 1 during the British yachting season.

Endeavour 1 was steel plated over a steel frame; 129.7 ft overall and 83.3 ft on the waterline. Her beam was a fraction over 22 ft. Her real innovation lay in her 167 ft high mast which was a welded steel tube, some 20 ins in diameter at the base, which was found to be aerodynamically more efficient than the pear shaped mast carried by the rival America’s Cup yacht, Rainbow.

Also noteworthy was Endeavour 1’s boom which, unlike the booms of old, was not circular in its cross section. Instead, it was constructed with an inverted triangular cross-section. The boom’s upper face was fitted with tracks which ran from side to side. Each track carried its own car to which the foot of the mainsail was attached. Thus the bottom of the mainsail was able to adopt an aerodynamically efficient shape, especially when going to windward. It was known as a “Park Avenue” boom as it was said that two men could walk abreast along it.  In order to ensure that the boom remained perpendicular to the sail at all times, even when the yacht was heeled, the crew could rotate the boom along its whole length.

Sopwith also devised a more aerodynamically efficient jib. Hitherto all jibs had been triangular in shape but Sopwith introduced the quadrilateral jib which had two clews, thus allowing an improved airflow across the mainsail. Unfortunately whilst testing that sail on the Solent prior to her departure for America, her new sail plan was spotted by an American yachtsman who, realising its importance, sent word back to the New York Yacht Club.

Endeavour 1 was launched on 16 April 1934 and took part in 12 races in British waters in June that year, finishing up as class champion. However, on the day before she was ready to set sail for Newport, Rhode Island, her professional crew went on strike demanding more money. Sopwith refused to give way and 14 of her 22 crew abandoned ship. There was a large response to an appeal made for amateur crewmen to fill the gap. However, all the time taken to train up her original crew had now been wasted and her challenge would be handicapped by the use of an enthusiastic, if relatively inexperienced crew and an afterguard chosen for their friendship with Sopwith rather than having extensive experience racing such a large vessel.

Endeavour 1 was the most potent challenger that Britain had sent out to participate in the America’s Cup up to that date. She won her first two races, although she lost the following four races, but by the end of the series of six races the Americans were only ahead by 6 mins 37 secs on a cumulative basis. It had been a very close run event.

For the 1937 America’s Cup Races she would serve as the trial horse for Endeavour II, but on returning to Britain she was laid up in a mud birth on the River Hamble and allowed to rot gently away. Eventually her steel hull plates rusted through, allowing the tide to flow in and out of her.

Endeavour 1 Before restoration

Despite a number of attempts to restore her, it was not until 1984 that a full restoration was undertaken by the American yachtswoman, Elizabeth Myer. She placed the Dutch designer, Gerry Dijkstra, in charge of the work, which kept as faithfully as possible to her original plans, having made due allowance for safety and concerns about structural strength. She was relaunched in May 1989. Elizabeth Meyer then took on the restoration of Shamrock V. It was thanks to her remarkable commitment that others were encouraged to come forward to restore or rebuild yet more of these beautiful craft.

Endeavour 1 After Restoration

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The J-class yachts are beloved symbols of extravagance from a bygone age, each designed and financed by a unique personality to compete in The America’s Cup. Looking back, we are left to wonder at the priorities of the people involved; how could they justify to themselves the expenditure required for a boat race during the height of the Great Depressionω Not to mention, these millionaires would rarely even leave themselves with a souvenir of this ultimate luxury; most J-class yachts were sold for scrap following the race. Today, we are left to marvel at the extraordinary series of events that was The America’s Cup from 1930-’37.

After the suspension of racing during World War II, its resumption in ‘58 featured smaller yachts, undoubtedly more affordable to field. This makes any surviving J-class yacht to be a rare, valuable historical artifact - exactly what the Endeavor is.

When it was constructed, The Endeavor was extraordinary for its design and technological innovation, and it remains so for being one of the only America’s Cup J-class yachts still intact.

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J Class: the enduring appeal of the world’s most majestic yachts

• October 9, 2023

Only ten J Class yachts were built before the Second World War stopped the movement in its tracks, but in the last 20 years these magnificent sloops have made an incredible comeback. Why has the J Class remained irresistable? David Glenn explains.

One of the most awe-inspiring sights in modern yachting is the Spirit of Tradition fleet blasting off the start line at the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. It happens every year at the end of April. Chances are it will include at least two J Class yachts, hitting the line on the gun at full tilt, exploding through the cobalt blue Caribbean rollers at anything up to 12 knots as they charge upwind.

Watching Velsheda , Ranger , Shamrock V and Endeavour will bring a lump to your throat, such is the emotion generated by these beautifully proportioned 130ft racing machines with their carbon rigs driving 170 tonnes of steel, aluminium and teak towards the weather mark. It’s heady stuff.

Watching them is one thing; racing quite another matter. In 1999 I was aboard the rebuilt Velsheda , taking part in the Antigua Classic Regatta. I had a single task as part of a four-man team – to tend the forward starboard runner. Nothing else. “Let that go once we’ve tacked and the whole rig comes down,” warned skipper Simon Bolt, as another wall of water thundered down the leeward deck and tried to rip me from the winch.

Dressed in authentic off-white, one-piece cotton boiler-suits, which had to be worn with a stout belt “so there’s something to grab if you go overboard”, they were tough, adrenaline-filled days out. God knows what it was like up forward as massive spinnakers were peeled and headsails weighing a quarter of a tonne were wrestled to the  needle-sharp foredeck as the bow buried itself into the back of yet another wave. Sometimes you daren’t look.

But with the race won or lost, back on the dock the feeling of elation, fuelled by being part of the 36-strong crew aboard one of these extraordinary yachts, triggered a high like no other. You knew you were playing a role, no matter how small, in a legendary story that began in 1930, was halted by World War II and then defied the pundits by opening another chapter 20 years ago. Today with five Js in commission, all in racing trim, and at least two more new examples about to be launched, the J Class phenomenon is back.

Why is the J Class so popular?

Why does a yacht with an arguably unexciting performance – they go upwind at 12 knots and downwind at 12 knots – costing £20 million to build and demanding eye-watering running costs, seem to be burgeoning during the worst recession since the class was born?

There is no single answer, but you only have to look back to the 1930s and the characters that owned and raced the Js on both sides of the Atlantic, sometimes for the America’s Cup , to understand why the class occupies a special place in yachting history. Underlying everything is the look of the J Class. It seems to transcend any change in yachting vogue, displaying a timeless line with outrageous overhangs and a proportion of hull to rig that is hard to better.

They possess true elegance. There is no doubt that captains of industry who want to flex their sporting muscle have been drawn to a class which only the very rich can afford and there are distinct parallels between J owners in the 1930s and those of the past 20 years. The difference is that in the 1930s owners liked to shout about their achievements and hogged the pages of national newspapers. Today, they are as quiet as mice.

Origins of the J Class

The J Class emerged in 1930 and marked a quantum leap in yachting technology, but comprised a hotchpotch of design altered over many years.

The J Class – so named because it was the letter allocated to its particular size by the Universal Rule to which the yachts were built (K and M Class yachts were, for example, shorter on the waterline) – emerged in 1930 and marked a quantum leap in yachting technology.

The so-called Big Class, which flourished in the UK in the 1920s, was impressive, but comprised a hotchpotch of design altered over many years. Yachts like King George V’s Britannia , built in 1893 as a gaff-rigged cutter but converted in the 1920s to Bermudan rig to rate as a J, Candida , Cambria , White Heather and schooners like Westward were even larger and more expensive to run. But as the greater efficiency of the Marconi or Bermudan rig became apparent their days were numbered.

One catalyst for the J Class itself was legendary grocer Sir Thomas Lipton’s final crack at challenging for the America’s Cup in 1931. He did so under the Universal Rule with the composite, wooden-planked, Charles E. Nicholson-design Shamrock V .

It was the 14th challenge since 1851 and the Americans, despite the withering effects of the Great Depression, reacted in dramatic fashion, organising their defence with four syndicates, each bulging with millionaires, putting forward separate Js: Enterprise , Whirlwind , Weetamoe and Yankee , which apart from Enterprise had already been launched.

Key to the American effort was the remarkable Harold Vanderbilt of the New York Yacht Club, who had inherited fabulous wealth from the family’s railroad companies, making him one of the country’s richest men.

Brought up on the family’s Idle Hour estate on Long Island Sound, he was a keen and accomplished sailor, and he used American technology and teamwork to build a far superior J in Enterprise. The defence completely overwhelmed Lipton’s effort. The British press castigated Lipton’s lack of preparedness and old-fashioned attitude. Vanderbilt, who among other things is credited with inventing contract bridge, left no stone unturned. “Mr. Harold Vanderbilt does not exactly go boat-sailing because summer is the closed season for fox-hunting,” stated an acerbic critic in the British yachting press.

Later when Shamrock was owned by aircraft builder Sir Richard Fairey and was being used to train crew for another Cup challenge, Beecher Moore, a skilful dinghy sailor who was draughted aboard the J to try to sort her out, reported in Yachts and Yachting many years later: “We found that when we got on board it was very much like a well-run country house, in that the gentleman does not go into the kitchen and on a well-run J Class the owner does not go forward of the mast.”

J Class tactics: Britain vs USA

A look at the huge gap between the British and American J Class tactics and designs in the early years of the America’s Cup.

In the early days there was a yawning gap between the way the Americans and British approached the Cup and, for that matter, how they ran a yacht. Revolutionary metal masts, Park Avenue booms to improve sail shape (the British copied this American design with their ‘North Circular’ version), bronze hulls that needed no painting, superior sails, and campaigns that cost £100,000 even in those days, blew away the Brits. Lipton had spent just £30,000 to build and equip Shamrock .

In the second Cup challenge in Js, in 1934, Sir T. O. M. Sopwith’s first Endeavour , also designed by Nicholson and equipped with wind instruments designed by her aircraft industrialist owner, nearly won the Cup, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory after leading the series 0-2. Sopwith was also up against Vanderbilt, who this time sailed Rainbow , which many considered to be the slower boat. But the British campaign was hobbled by a pay dispute – Endeavour ’s crew got £5 a week but they wanted a raise for ‘going foreign’ – and the campaign approach was again brought into question when the first thing to be stripped off the yacht when they won a dispute over reducing weight was the bath!

Back in Britain, the 1935 season proved to be the zenith of J Class and Big Class racing, although by the end of it the Js were under the cosh for their tendency to lose masts. Five went over the side that year and Endeavour II , launched with en eye on the next Cup challenge, lost hers twice.

There was added spice in the competition off the shores of the UK with the arrival of the American J Yankee , now owned by millionaire and Listerine businessman Gerard Lambert, who enjoyed sparring with the Brits. But even Yankee lost her mast and the press rounded on the class for being dangerous and wasteful! That wasn’t enough to stop Sopwith, whose tail had been extracted from between his legs following the last defeat in Newport: Endeavour II was towed across the Atlantic in a veritable armada that included  the first Endeavour. The British yachts found themselves up against the most advanced sailing machine the world had ever seen – Ranger , dubbed ‘the Super J’.

Vanderbilt was the man to beat again. Not only had he bankrolled the entire defence as American business remained beset by a struggling economy, but he used highly scientific means to perfect design. The brilliant naval architect Starling Burgess, who had designed for Vanderbilt throughout the 1930s, was now aided by the equally brilliant but considerably more youthful Olin Stephens. Between them they finally selected ‘model 77-C’ from six tank tested.

The yacht was considered ugly by some and not a natural to look at, but Vanderbilt’s team trusted the science (still the difference between the Americans and the Brits) and Ranger with her bluff or barrel bow and ‘low slung’ counter was the result. She proved to be dynamite on the race course and Endeavour II didn’t stand a chance. She was beaten in five straight races by large margins. The Americans and Vanderbilt had done it again. War then brought an end to an extraordinary era in yachting.

Only ten J Class yachts were built to the Universal rule and not a single American yacht survived. Most were scrapped for the war effort. In any case, the American way was to discard the machine once it has served its purpose. In Britain they faired a little better, and some Js were mud-berthed on the East and South Coasts. Two survived in the UK: Velsheda , originally built by the businessman who ran Woolworths in the UK (W. L. Stevenson named her after his daughters Velma, Sheila and Daphne), but which never challenged for the America’s Cup; and Endeavour , saved by becoming a houseboat on the Hamble. Shamrock ended up in Italy and survived the war hidden in a hay barn.

J Class resurgence

Seemingly resigned to the history books, the J Class made a triumphant return in the 1980s.

In his seminal book about the J Class, Enterprise to Endeavour, yachting historian Ian Dear predicted in the first edition in 1977 that the likes of the Js would never be seen again. By the time the fourth edition was published in 1999 he was quite happily eating his words!

The American Elizabeth Meyer was, without doubt, instrumental in bringing the class back to life when in the 1980s she extracted what was left of Endeavour from a  amble mud-berth, began rebuilding her in Calshot, and then moved her to Royal Huisman in Holland, who completed the restoration superbly. With the transom of the original Ranger mounted on a bulkhead in her saloon, Endeavour is still regarded as one of the best-looking and potentially fastest Js.

She was owned briefly by Dennis Kozlowski, the disgraced tycoon who ran Tyco, who famously said: “No one really owns Endeavour, she’s part of yachting history. I’m delighted to be the current caretaker.” Unfortunately he ended up in prison and the State of New York became Endeavour’s ‘caretaker’ before they sold her to her current owner, who has kept the yacht in the Pacific. She’s currently being refitted in New Zealand.

Ronald de Waal is a Dutchman who until recently was chairman of the Saks Group in the USA and has made a fortune in clothing. He has dedicated a lot of time to improving Velsheda over the years since he had her rebuilt by Southampton Yacht Services to a reconfigured design by Dutch naval architect Gerry Dykstra. Ronald de Waal steers the yacht himself to great effect and has had some legendary tussles with Ranger, the new Super J built in Denmark for American realestate magnate John Williams.

The rivalry between the two is fierce and even led to a collision between the yachts in Antigua last year. But Velsheda would have been lost had it not been for British scrap-metal merchant Terry Brabant who saved her from a muddy grave on  the Hamble and famously sold his Rolls-Royce to cast a new lead keel for the yacht. With very little modern equipment he sailed her hard in the Solent, chartering her and crossing the Atlantic for a Caribbean season, all without an engine! Without Brabant’s initiative Ronald de Waal wouldn’t have what he has today.

Shamrock V is owned by a Brazilian telecommunications businessman Marcos de Moraes who had the yacht rebuilt at Pendennis Shipyard in Falmouth in 2001. He tends to keep away from the race course but with a number of events being planned in the run-up to the 2012 London Olympics he might be tempted back. The latest new J to launch, Hanuman, a modern interpretation of Endeavour II, has recently entered the racing fray. She was commissioned by serial yacht owner Jim Clark (Hyperion and Athena), the American who brought us Netscape and Silicon Graphics, and who remains a colossus in Silicon Valley.

Hanuman, named after a Hindu deity, built by Royal Huisman and designed by Gerry Dykstra, has had no expense spared when it comes to rig and sail wardrobe. Last year she beat Ranger in the Newport Bucket but in March this year she lost out 2-1 to the same boat at the St Barths Bucket. They were due to meet again with Velsheda at the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta in April. Another Dutchman, property developer Chris Gongriep, who has owned a number of yachts including Sapphire and Windrose of Amsterdam, has given the go-ahead for a new  version of Rainbow, which is well advanced in Holland at Freddie Bloesma’s aluminium hull fabrication yard. The yacht, reconfigured by Gerry Dykstra, will be in the water in 2011 with a full-on race programme.

About to be launched is Lionheart, the biggest J so far, redesigned by Andre Hoek and built in Holland by Claasen Jachtbouw, after an extensive research programme.  Unfortunately, her owner’s business commitments mean that he won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of this project – she’s for sale with Yachting Partners International and Hoek Brokerage. What an opportunity to join a class with such a remarkable history and one which looks destined to run and run!

First published on SuperYachtWorld.com on Aug 4, 2010

ENDEAVOUR J-Yacht

The most beautiful J-Class yacht ever built

Endeavour was hailed as the most beautiful J-Class yacht ever built. She was also the best and most impressive sailboat that Britain ever built to race in America’s Cup series.

Yacht Endeavour had speed as well as beauty.  Built in 1933 by T.O.M. Sopwith, the undisputed leader of the British aircraft industry, Endeavour possessed many new and innovative devices, including below-deck winches, new sail designs, and an improved spinnaker. Even with an amateur crew, she came closer to winning the Cup than any other challenger up to that time.

The J-yacht Endeavour was a faster yacht than her contender Rainbow. She beat Rainbow the first two races. However, the American team was a much finer crew and defeated Endeavour all next three races by out-thinking her captain.  In the third race, as a direct result of Vanderbilt (the skipper of Rainbow) failing to pull away, the yachts almost collided when Endeavour had right of way. Sopwith raised the protest flag after the race in accordance to British rules. The race committee however dismissed the protest as the American rules stated the protest flag is to be flown at the time of the foul. This prompted a British writer to comment: "Britannia rules the waves, but America waives the rules."

When Endeavour returned to England she continued to dominate the British racing scene until 1938 when she was laid up for the duration of World War II.  Saved by Elizabeth Meyer of New Port, RI, today she is one of the most breathtaking sights on the water. To take helm of such a yacht is to experience pure power, grace, and speed.