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1/25 (36") Scale America's Cup high performance model sailboat

5ft Replica of the 1962 Americas Cup 12 Meter

45" Scale Model of the Olympic Star Boat

J Class Boat-Shamrock V

1/16 (8'-10')Scale Replica of the 1930's America's Cup Class Yacht

RMG Sail Winches

High Performance sail control winches

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2023 J Boat Down the River Race Aug 25th Info CPM is now producing the Shamrock V Original Plug and mold by Dave Brawner and Ranger mold and plug by Gary Mueler

Shamrock V and Range Fiberglass hulls, Rudders, Mast fittings.

Current prices for the Shamrock V are as follows Hull - $625.00 Rudder w/Shoe - $175.00 Ballast (3 Piece) - $200.00

Current prices for the Ranger are as follows

Hull - $700.00 Rudder w/Shoe - $175.00

SHAMROCK V BUILD SITE  

Fully Built Ready to sail Shamrock V J boat cost estimate.

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Are you  interested in building a J Boat?

Take a look the Shamrock V Build Web site for all aspects of building a J Boat

SHAMROCK V BUILD SITE

Build queue Deposit Policy

To be placed into the CPM Build Queue a min deposit of $100 is required. Due to the custom nature of building fiberglass hulls and components this deposit is NON refundable.

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2011 J-Boat National Championships - Mystic, CT

CPM's David Ramos 2013 J-Boat National Champion sailing the Shamrock V

CPM's David Ramos 2014 J-Boat National Champion sailing the Shamrock V

CPM's David Ramos 2016 J-Boat National Champion sailing the Shamrock V

CPM's David Ramos 2018 J-Boat National Champion sailing the Shamrock V

CPM's David Ramos 2020 J-Boat National Champion sailing the Shamrock V

CPM's David Ramos 2022 J-Boat National Champion sailing the Shamrock V

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Endeavour Model Yacht Black / White (Standard Range) – AM (AS155)

Pen Duick Model Yacht (Standard Range) – AM (AS053)

Endeavour Model Yacht (Standard Range) – GN

Endeavour Yacht Painted 24 Model Ship – OMH (Y139)

Shamrock Wooden Model Yacht (Standard Range) – AM (AS157)

Pen Duick Model Ship – GN

Velsheda Model Yacht (Standard Range) – GN

Columbia Half Hull – GN (HH008P)

Ranger Half Hull – GN (HH007P)

Endeavour Half Hull – GN (HH005W-60)

Endeavour Half Hull – GN (HH005P)

Shamrock Half Hull Blank Deck – GN (HH004P-2)

J-Yacht ‘Rainbow’ 1934 Model (Standard Range) – AM (AS152)

J-Yacht ‘Ranger’ 1937 Model (Standard Range) – AM (AS150)

America’s Cup Columbia Model Ship (Standard Range) – AM (AS076F)

Shamrock Open Hull Model Ship – OMH (Y153)

Columbia Yacht L – OMH (Y155)

Columbia Sm Model Ship – OMH (Y011)

Bristol Yacht Model Ship – OMH (Y096)

Endeavour Model Yacht Red/White (Standard Range) – AM (AS154)

Endeavour Frame hull (Standard Range) – GN

Pond Yacht (Standard Range) – GN

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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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Our J-Class yacht models and racing yachts are for display and decorative purposes only – they are not functioning models and cannot got in the water. Our selection of stunning sailing model yachts includes the J Class Endeavour, Pen Duick and America's Cup racing yacht Australia II. These sailing model yachts are lacquer painted for a sleek finish, except for the large scale Pen Duick. They're supported by a solid wooden stand and are available in small, medium and large scales.

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Endeavour – j class america’s cup 1934 – 1:35.

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Endeavour J Class Yacht America’s Cup 1934 Model Ship Kit – Amati (AM1700/82)

The Endeavour J Class Yacht America’s Cup 1934 Model Ship Kit is manufactured by Amati ship model kits. Amati Model Ship Kits are faithful interpretations of the original vessel. All materials are of the finest available and plans and instructions are always excellent and easily followed. Amati has integrated computer design and the latest materials to produce high quality ship model kits.

History of the Endeavour J Class Yacht America’s Cup 1934

The Schooner Endeavour staked a claim on the America’s Cup, winning the first two races. The third regatta was bound to be the most exciting. Fate played an unkind trick to Sir Thomas Sopwith, who failed and thus couldn’t win the America’s Cup. Model Kit includes plank-on-bulkhead construction; laser cutted wooden deck and planking; brass and wooden fittings; photo etched brass details; cloth sails; plans and detailed instructions.

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America’s Cup Columbia Model Ship (Standard Range) – AM (AS076F)

Bristol Yacht Model Ship – OMH (Y096)

Columbia Half Hull – GN (HH008P)

Columbia Sm Model Ship – OMH (Y011)

Columbia Yacht L – OMH (Y155)

Endeavour Frame hull (Standard Range) – GN

Endeavour Half Hull – GN (HH005P)

Endeavour Half Hull – GN (HH005W-60)

Endeavour Model Yacht (Standard Range) – GN

Endeavour Model Yacht Black / White (Standard Range) – AM (AS155)

Endeavour Model Yacht Red/White (Standard Range) – AM (AS154)

Endeavour Yacht Painted 24 Model Ship – OMH (Y139)

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Endeavour w/ Tools - Wooden Hull (Amati, 1:80)

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Endeavour J Class with Tools - Amati Wooden Kit

Part #AM1700/10

Scale 1:80 - Total length cm. 48 (18.9") - Height cm. 70 (27.6")

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Combo Set #1 - Endeavour - Wooden Hull

Endeavour J Class with Tools - Amati AM1700/10

The yacht Endeavour staked a claim on the America's Cup, winning the first two races. The third regatta was bound to be the most exciting. Fate played an unkind trick to Sir Thoms Sopwith, who failed and thus couldn't win the America's Cup.

Wooden model ship kit features plank-on-frame construction with laser cut keel, frames and deck; double planking in basswood and mahogany; metal and wooden fittings; cloth sails; wooden detailed mast; brass photoetched parts; plans and detailed instructions

Also includes a selection of model building tools.

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Model Range

The J Class model range consists of two J Class hulls, the Nottingham 48 and the Nottingham 60, each of which can be built to carry either bermuda rigs, gaff rigs and coming shortly a genoa rig. In addition I'm nearing the end of the development of the International Dragon, a little under 60 inches and designed from outset to carry a genoa rig. The Canterbury version of the 48 is still available for those who want to race abroad and I've also included on this website details of the Folkboat project.

The Nottingham 48 and the Nottingham 60 are supplied in "kit" form for the customer to build. The hulls are of very high quality and constructed using traditional fibreglass techniques with pigmented gelcoat to achieve the colour scheme choice of the customer. The kit includes the hull, rudder, ballast (for the 48), internal woodwork with stand, deck and hatches

The Canterbury J is only available in White as the hull will need to be filled and painted when the ballast is fitted however the ballast and woodwork are the same as the Nottingham. In a spirit of honesty I would have to declare that whilst this moulding is from a Canterbury Association approved mould the quality of the moulding is only fair compared with the high quality Nottingham mouldings. The quality is however less relevant as the hull will need to filled and painted anyway

The International Dragon is a new project. This model may become available as a kit but initially is available as a Ready to Run, with the customer only providing the radio. This model is built and engineered to the highest standards and will incorporate improved design features that are not generally found in model yachts...some day all models will be built this way!!

I'm introducing the Folkboat on this site on behalf of a chum, Charles Chambers. The hulls are laminated by ourselves and the model is available from Charles as a Ready to Run.

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

A pocket guide to the J Class yachts – the world’s most elegant racing fleet

• Toby Hodges
• March 19, 2017

Toby Hodges profiles the world's most beautiful fleet of classic racing yachts – the J Class

Shamrock V – JK3

J Class yacht Shamrock sailplan

LOA: 36.50m /119ft 9in · LWL: 26.7m/87ft 7in · Beam: 6.00m/19ft 8in · Disp: 166 tonnes

Original lines: Charles E Nicholson

Modified design: Dykstra Naval Architects

Launch year and yard: 1930, Camper & Nicholsons

Identifying features: The only wooden J and the smallest. Dark green hull with bronze deck fittings.

Current state: She has just had a refit in Palma after a long period under her past owner chartering, cruising and occasional racing.

Race prediction:Her smaller size means she will struggle against the other J Class yachts in real time – but she has the most experienced skipper and her recent mods are all aimed at making her competitive on handicap.

Skipper: Simon Lacey · Race Helmsman: Mike ‘Moose’ Sanderson

Photo: J Class Association / Gerhard Standop

Velsheda – JK7

J Class yacht Velsheda sailplan

LOA: 39.25m/128ft 9in · LWL: 27.8m/91ft 3in · Beam: 6.57m/21ft 7in · Disp: 180 tonnes

Launch year and yard: 1933, Camper & Nicholsons. Rebuilt by Southampton Yacht Services in 1997.

Identifying features: Dark blue hull, pinched transom and that iconic sharp J bow.

Current state: Continually optimised and very well prepared.

Race prediction: Highly experienced, well-gelled crew and a yacht that is looking particularly nimble and aggressive at the start. Despite surrendering size to the modern J Class yachts she’s a firm favourite to win any regatta.

Skipper: Barney Henshaw-Depledge · Race helmsman: Owner-driver

Helen Fretter goes racing on board J Class yacht Velsheda

Photo: J Class Association / Onne van der Wal

Endeavour – JK4

J Class yacht Endeavour sailplan

LOA: 39.31m/128ft 12in · LWL: 27.30m/89ft 7in · Beam: 6.68m/21ft 11in · Disp: 175 tonnes

Launch year and yard: 1934, Camper & Nicholson. Relaunched by Royal Huisman in 1989.

Identifying features: Royal ‘Endeavour Blue’ hull, clean deck, single deckhouse.

Current state: Completely refitted by Yachting Developments in 2010-11. Based between Palma and Cascais she is for sale through Edmiston and in prize condition.

Race prediction: Fully optimised and race ready, but is up for sale and now already unlikely to be ready in time for Bermuda.

Skipper: Luke Bines · Race helmsman: N/A (Torben Grael in 2012)

Video exclusive: what it’s like to sail the iconic J Class Endeavour

Photo: J Class Association / Jens Fischer

Ranger – J5

J Class yacht Ranger sailplan

LOA: 41.63m/136ft 7in · LWL: 28.80m/94ft 6in · Beam: 6.41m/21ft 0in · Disp: 203 tonnes

Original design: Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens

Modified design: Studio Scanu, Reichel Pugh, Fred Elliot and Dykstra Naval Architects

Launch year and yard: 2003, Danish Yacht

Identifying features: White hull with snub nose and spoon bow.

Current state: Refitted and optimised at Newport Shipyard 2016, where chainplates were moved forward and tracks modified to take a bigger headsail.

Race prediction: The heaviest J, but a rocket in flat water, such as in Bermuda’s Great Sound. A veteran crew whose consistency is Ranger’s trump card.

Skipper: Dan Jackson · Race helmsman: Erle Williams

Ranger J5 – the first completely new J Class yacht

Ranger , J5 RYS centenary 2015. Photo Paul Wyeth

Rainbow – JH2

J Class yacht Rainbow sailplan

LOA: 39.89m/130ft 11in · LWL: 26.90m/88ft 3in · Beam: 6.42m/21ft 1in · Disp: 167 tonnes

Original lines: William Starling Burgess

Launch year and yard: 2012, Holland Jachtbouw

Identifying features: Black hull, red bottom and modern grey rig with race boom.

Current state: Sold in 2015 by Chris Gongriep, the former owner of Holland Jachtbouw, she has since solely been used for cruising by her US owner who shows no signs of wanting to race, although she will be in Bermuda to watch.

Race prediction: Was cruised and raced extensively for a couple of seasons after she was built and has proven to be a supremely fast boat for her size in the right hands.

J Class yacht Rainbow – the Dutch destroyer

Hanuman – JK6

J Class yacht Hanuman sailplan

LOA: 42.19m/138ft 5in · LWL: 27.50m/90ft 3in · Beam: 6.60m/21ft 8in · Disp: 180 tonnes

Launch year and yard: 2009 Royal Huisman

Identifying features: Carries the old Endeavour II sail number JK6 – but a totally modern day reinterpretation of Sopwith’s second boat, built in aluminium.

Current state: Her weight and stability were optimised at Newport Shipyard in 2016 and she was also fitted with a new mast and rigging, plus a new furling headstay.

Race prediction: With her same core Comanche/Puma crew and Ken Read on the wheel, this is a highly race-oriented J Class yacht.

Skipper: Greg Sloat · Race helmsman: Ken Read

Inside J class yacht Hanuman

Lionheart JH1

J Class yacht Lionheart sailplan

LOA: 43.4m/142ft 5in · LWL 27.2m/89ft 3in · Beam: 6.55m/21ft 6in · Disp: 180 tonnes

Original lines: Starling Burgess and Olin Stephens

Modified design: Hoek Design

Launch year and yard: 2010, Bloemsma and Claasen Jachtbouw

Identifying features: Black hull and rig, bulwarks giving a high freeboard effect, two deckhouses.

Current state: Constantly upgraded, Lionheart has new North raw sails with plans to build more sails before Bermuda.

Race prediction: Lionheart is consistently optimised, has some key pros and a fantastic crew spirit. Should be finishing in the top three in Bermuda.

Skipper: Toby Brand · Race helmsman: Owner-driver · Tactics: Bouwe Bekking

J Class yacht Lionheart J/H1 – replica of an original that was never built

Photo: J Class Association / Thierry Martinez

J Class yacht Topaz sailplan

LOA: 42.7m/140ft 1in · LWL: 27.8m/91ft 3in · Beam: 6.75m/22ft 2in · Disp: 180 tonnes

Original lines: Frank Paine

Launch year and yard: 2015, Holland Jachtbouw

Identifying features: Longest waterline of all the Js (for which there is a sail area penalty) she has a striking Art Deco interior and a dark blue hull with turquoise antifoul.

Current state: New and raring to go.

Race prediction: With her fuller volume forward, longer waterline and shorter keel, Hoek believes she will be the fastest J Class downwind and in light airs. The crew has practised hard since last year and now has top big boat helm in Holmberg.

Skipper: Romke Lopik · Race helmsman: Peter Holmberg

New J Class yacht named Topaz is launched – and the design team says she is “absolutely stunning”

Photo: J Class Association / Carlo Borlenghi

J Class yacht Svea sailplan

LOA: 43.6m/143ft 1in · LWL: 27.6m/90ft 7in · Beam: 6.65m/21ft 10in · Disp: 180 tonnes

Original lines: Tore Holm

Launch year and yard: 2017, Bloemsma / Vitters

Identifying features: Dark grey metallic hull, near flush ultra-clean, ergonomically optimised deck with low single doghouse and huge 8ft diameter wheel that turns in a well that extends down to the keel frames.

Current state: Just launched.

Race prediction: Tore Holm was a gifted Metre designer and Svea looks like a fast upwind boat, with a race oriented deck design and a slippery underwater shape. It’s asking a lot of her crew to be competitive for 2017.

Skipper: Paul ‘PK’ Kelly

Race helmsman: Owner driver

Nine Js and counting: J Class Svea J-S1 is sold and under construction at Vitters

The history of the J-Class

The Js are inextricably linked with the America’s Cup as, barring Velsheda , all were built for the purpose of America’s Cup racing. From 1929 to 1937, 20 J Class yachts were designed. Ten of these went on to be built, with six racing in the America’s Cup finals. A modern J Class yacht’s  lines can only be taken from the original designs, ensuring the fleet’s look endures.

Canterbury J Class Model Yacht

A Brief History of the Canterbury J Class Model Yacht

Sailing at the Christchurch Model Yacht Club [CMYC] in 1996-1997 there was a small classic J Class model yacht named RANGER with a length of 1.2 metres and this was owned by Dave Heanly. This yacht was J1 which was eventually purchased from Dave and is now on display in the CMYC club rooms at Hagley Park.

A group of CMYC members decided the J Class yacht would be ideal for easy fully rigged transport and sailing in weedy conditions at Lake Victoria.

The hull of number J1 was purchased from Model Boats and the sail plan designed by Hugh Hobden. An approach was made to purchase more hulls. Euan Sargison negotiated and another 9 hulls were purchased and sold very quickly.

The J Class Squadron was formed 2 Sep 1997. Two more hulls appeared making the total at this time twelve.

More hulls were in demand and the place that originally sold the hulls advised that the mould had been lost. After investigating it was found that the original hulls supplied had been taken from a Timaru J Class yacht.

It was decided to make a Canterbury mould with adjustments. The hull was deepened by 16mm and the lead reduced by 16mm and the trim weight put inside the hull. The J Class squadron purchased the new mould with a loan from Peter Vincent and the loan was repaid from hull sales. Number J13 was the first hull

To promote the sailing class three trophies were donated by Peter Vincent.

More Canterbury J Class historical information can be found HERE

The basic philosophy was to have an easily sailed and economically built  RC yacht’ based on a one design principles to provide good resale value, and with racing dependent more on the skipper rather than designer/builder skill.These objects have been attained and the Class has attracted many first time sailors, mostly from the retired ranks who share the common creed, “it sure beats gardening!”

The boat can be transported easily in the average car or station wagon fully rigged. Many boats have features of the original Canterbury J Class.

The “Wednesday Windlers” can muster fleets of 30 plus for their around-the-lake sailing on Lake Victoria. Why not visit the lake on a Wednesday? Members turn out, except in the most atrocious weather, and are pleased to “turn over the controls” to any interested spectator.

377 hulls [December 2022] have been purchased and they are to be found in all areas of New Zealand and as far afield as the USA, Australia, Canada, Germany and the UK. It is a one-design yacht and all hull shells, keels and trim weights are made from moulds officially approved by the Canterbury J Association with an identification number moulded into the hull.

There are rules that, prohibit exotic materials, define a fixed minimum weight, strictly control dimensions in the three sizes of sail rigs.

The yacht can be bought as a kit or in separate pieces and assembled as the budget allows. This also allows members handy at making small components to make many of the parts and keep the price down. All parts are available: hulls white polyester, keels, brass fittings, and computer-generated sails, winches and radio gear. If you cannot find the part you want we will find it or we can make it at reasonable costs.

There is also an active and increasing North Island fleet sailing out of the T auranga Radio Sailing Club  Gilmour Lake  Waihi , [links to external sites] , Palmerston North and Auckland

Shamrock V, JK3

Design: Charles E Nicholson

Image Credit:

Image Credit: 

In 1929 Sir Thomas Lipton, who had reached worldwide fame through his tea business issued his fifth challenge for the America’s Cup and commissioned Charles E. Nicholson, to design the first J-Class Yacht, Shamrock V, to the Universal Rule, signifying the birth of the J Class and the start of a new era in design evolution and racing.

‍ Shamrock V was built out of mahogany planking over steel frames and launched at the Camper & Nicholsons Gosport yard on 14th April 1930. She showed early promise on the British Regatta circuit winning 15 of 22 races and placing second in an additional four. She also underwent continuous upgrading with changes to her hull shape, rudder and modifications to the rig to create a more effective racing sail plan.

‍ Temporarily re-rigged as a ketch, Shamrock V crossed the Atlantic to America on her own bottom fully fitted out with internal accommodation. On arrival, she met Harold Vanderbilt’s Enterprise - race-ready, stripped out and equipped with several pioneering features such as a Park Avenue Boom, hidden lightweight winches and the world’s first Duralumin mast. The America’s Cup arms race was on, and Enterprise took the 15th America's Cup with a clean sweep. Sir Thomas Lipton, after endearing himself to the American public over 31 years and five attempts, would die the following year having never fulfilled his ambition to win the cup. The British aviation industrialist Sir Thomas Sopwith bought her in 1931 as a trial horse to gain J-Class racing experience before his challenge for the 16th America's Cup.  Shamrock was then sold to Sopwith's aviation friend, and fellow yachtsman, Sir Richard Fairey of Fairey Aviation who continued to optimise Shamrock with aerodynamic and hydrodynamic modifications.

‍ In 1937, Shamrock was bought by the Italian senator and industrialist Mario Crespi. This change in ownership prompted Shamrock's only name change. Italian Fascist law had banned the use of foreign names in society. Accordingly, Shamrock V was renamed Quadrifoglio (cloverleaf). Crespi was also the first owner who modified Shamrock for comfort by installing a luxurious interior for longer passages. The next owner, Piero Scanu, instigated a comprehensive three-year overhaul at the Camper & Nicholsons yard commencing. Whilst this refit saved Shamrock, it also took her further away from her thoroughbred origins with the installation of high bulwarks and a large deckhouse. In 1986, Shamrock V returned to the ownership of the Lipton Tea Company who donated her to the Museum of Yachting at Newport, Rhode Island. Another extensive and famed restoration was carried out by Elizabeth Meyer in 1989, which alongside her restoration of Endeavour, returned these two J Class to racing form and allowed the first J Class racing since 1937. This stimulated interest in restoring and building replica J Class yachts.

‍ Following changes of ownership in the 1990s but still under Elizabeth Meyer’s management, Shamrock underwent renovation at Pendennis in 2000 where comprehensive works were planned to improve the yacht’s ballast ratio and with the addition of a new rig and sails, and performance was dramatically enhanced without compromising historical authenticity. Leading naval architect Gerard Dykstra of Dykstra Naval Architects was a major influence on the successful completion of the project, which included the returning of her deck structures and rig to their original 1930s configuration and improvements to the interior layout. Shamrock participated in a reunion in August 2001 with Endeavour, the only other remaining America’s Cup challenger, and Velsheda, for the America's Cup Jubilee off Cowes. Since then, Shamrock has enjoyed success racing on the classic and superyacht circuit, as well as being a popular charter yacht for cruising and racing.

‍ Racing in St Barth’s in 2017, Shamrock sustained significant structural damage and in 2022 was acquired by her current owner who has commissioned a comprehensive strip down and restoration ‘to prepare her for her next 100 years’. Work is well underway, with a planned relaunch early in 2024, Shamrock plans to return to the Mediterranean to take part in the J Class World Championship during the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona.

‍ Shamrock is the only original J-class never to have fallen into dereliction.

Length at waterline

displacement

upwind sail area

spinnaker sail area

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