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About this design
J Class Yachts were built to contest the Americas Cup. Typically with hulls made of Tobin bronze these boats were fabulously expensive to build. It is said the British designer and builder of Thomas Lipton's Shamrock V, Tommy Sopwith's Endeavour and W.L. Stephenson's Velsheda insisted there was no budget for the cost of the build.
The 1934 Americas Cup was contested by Harold Vanderbilt's Rainbow and Tommy Sopwith's steel hulled Endeavour. (Tommy Sopwith, engineering and Sir Thomas Lipton , tea and groceries, were the consistent British Americas Cup challengers) In 1934 thanks to a rule change Vanderbilt was given the series for the Americans 4 races to 2. The headline in the New York Times read Britannia Rules the Waves America Waives the Rules; one of sport's most celebrated headlines.
Only ten of these yachts were built and only three, all British built and owned and designed by Charles Ernest Nicholson: Shamrock V , Endeavour I and Velsheda , survived. One of the ten, Britannia, owned and raced by King George V, was sunk by HMS Winchester off the Isle of Wight in accordance with the King's will. Shame.
A key consideration in J class design seemed to be how they looked. Without a doubt they looked gorgeous, defining for many how a racing yacht should look. They certainly deserve their t-shirt.
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