Endeavour I 1934

Hand-crafted plank-on-frame wood hull with blue topsides, white cove stripe and white boot stripe . Varnished stained wood hull.

Hull size: 60cm.

Board size: 75cm X 20cm

The owner of the big White Eather, W.E. Stephenson, announced his intention in 1933 to build a new J-Class: Charles E. Nicholson built a splendid steel yacht for him,Velsheda. It could be seen from her first outings that she was a possible challenger of the America's Cup.

Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, the famous aircraft manufacturer and Shamrock V's owner, decided to enter the fray. He ordered a new J Class from Nicholson, Endeavour. ( T.O.M. Sopwith acquired Shamrock V in 1932 ).

Nicholson designed his most fabulous challenger, with a very elegant shape and real speed capacities. It must said that Sopwith's completion of Nicholson's work was perfect, assisted by an aeronautics engineer Frank Murdoch.

The fifteenth challenge of the America's Cup was quite a paradox: the faster yacht was beaten by the slower but better sailed yacht. In fact, with Rainbow, the Americans were saved solely due to their tactical sense and a lot of luck.

Endeavour layed down for years in the USA, without care. She was rescued by Elizabeth Meyer, of Newport, RI. Today after a $ 10,000,000 restoration, she is one of the most breathtaking sights on the water. To take helm of such a boat is to experience pure power, grace and speed.

There was a crowd in attendance at the launch of the third America's Cup defender designed and built by the Herreshoff brothers. As ever, the boat has been built in an utmost secrecy, forbidding the access of the yard to every journalists and photographers. This time the defender helm was put in the hands of Charles Barr. This was the first time that the famous Scottish skipper, living in he States for some years , had been entrusted with a defender. Captain Nat  was to be his co-skipper.

As John Brown predicted, Columbia's steel mast broke after the first trials, due to electrolysis. It was replaced by another in Oregon pine for the rest of the trials. The final race was held on October 20th. The struggle was hard and none of the two teams managed to take a decisive advantage till the last mark. The two were now both fighting against the wind. They heeled over impressively, stemposts dipping into the spray and lifting immense cascades of water.Throughout this first windward beat, Archie Hogarth tried all he knew to escape Columbia, who was controlling him mercilessly. Columbia obviously cut better through the choppy sea, whereas Shamrock had to force her way through and tossed violently the Defender flying her mainsail, staysail and jib, performed marvellously and hauled the wind without losing speed, her sais always full. Scarcely 5 minutes after rounding the mark, Columbia had the race in her pocket. Shamrock tacked first after 20 mninutes, followed the Americans. The difference separating the two yachts could now be seen, since, from the same initial point, Columbia was already 1/8 mile to windward of the Irish. Barr decided to slacken off to avoid breakages and to make sure of victory, as he was a quarter of a mile to windward of his pursuer, and won easily.

The American skipper and the defender had fulfilled their contract, with their three crushing victories over Sir Thomas Lipton's yacht. Columbia had no difficulty in beating Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock, designed by Fife Jr III. Before his promise to come back to the following America's Cup, Sir Thomas Lipton paid tribute to his rival: "Mister Herreshoff has shown that he is the greatest yacht designer in the world".