yacht enterprise 1930

Lipton commissioned Charles Nicholson to design his contender.  Shamrock V became the first J Class yacht. She was designed by Nicholson and built at the family yard in 1930, and before she crossed the Atlantic to attend the Cup she had notched up more than 700 sea miles (1,296km), won 15 out of the 22 races she had entered and had been tweaked and tested to a high degree.


The NYYC held defender selection trials with two to four candidates since the 1881 match which gave the Club a distinct advantage over the challengers who could only challenge one at a time.  1930 was no different.  In response to Lipton’s challenge of 1929 the Americans designed and built four J-Class yachts as possible defenders. Enterprise, Whirlwind, Yankee and Weetamoe were launched within a month of each other; Weetamoe and Enterprise from the Herreshoff yard and Yankee and Whirlwind from Lawley & Son’s yard in Bristol.

Enterprise, designed by. W. Starling Burgess, had a waterline length of 80 feet, a steel hull plated with Tobin bronze, and a lightweight rig including a duralumin mast and 19-strand wire rigging. Enterprise’s most famous feature was her “Park Avenue” boom that permitted the bottom part of the mainsail to be curved into an efficient aerofoil shape.

Whirlwind, the second J, was the most revolutionary of the four. L. Francis Herreshoff had moved away from conventional yachts and designed a boat, which took the new rule to its extreme. Whirlwind combined many new ideas and Herreshoff experimented with hull shape and rig. She was the longest of the early J’s at 86ft on the waterline and remained so until Ranger and Endeavour II were built in 1937.

Her hull was of semi-composite construction (the other three American Js were built mainly of steel and plated with highly expensive Tobin bronze), was double-ended and had a permanent backstay. Uffa Fox described her profile as: “Very pleasing to the eye, the stem sweeping down to the keel in a very sweet line, and to a man who, like myself, believes that a pointed stern is a logical ending for all vessels, her stern is a joy to behold.” He predicted, “If the Yacht Racing Rules govern well and wisely, we shall see Whirlwind racing 50 years hence. If they do not she will probably be cruising then.” But Whirlwind met an early demise. Her building was delayed as she didn’t meet Lloyd’s A1 scantling rules and she wasn’t chosen to be the 1930s defender. She was often out-performed when close hauled, her steering gear making her difficult to steer. She was eventually scrapped along with Enterprise in 1935. However, her unusual double-headsail rig was later adopted by the rest of the Js.


The third American J, Yankee, was the best all-rounder. At 84ft on the waterline and 125ft length overall, her hull was built of steel and plated with Tobin bronze. An extremely well balanced boat. Designed by Frank Paine, Yankee had an almost straight sheerline and easy lines. She was a powerful contender for defender, but not fine-tuned enough to succeed. She did, however, take part in the 1934 America’s Cup trials and with alterations to her rig, to carry more sail, and bow, which was lengthened and made more of a V-shape, she then proved more successful, especially in light winds.

The fourth of the American J’s was Weetamoe, which was designed by Clinton Crane and was the narrowest of the early four. Despite claims that Yankee was the best all-rounder, Weetamoe is said to have been the closest rival to Enterprise to be the Cup defender. Charles Nedwick, in Ian Dear’s book Enterprise to Endeavour, describes Weetamoe as having a profile “that is practically a triangle, with a straight line from the after end of the waterline to the bottom of the keel and thence a line which is slightly convex, and then slightly concave to the forward end of the waterline.” In an attempt to better performance and make her less tender, her profile below the water was radically altered in 1934 with a new contour and bulb keel. The alterations failed and not long afterwards were reversed. In common with the other J’s, she had about 43ft of overhang and her hull, Nicholson opined, “was the best of all the US Js”.


When Shamrock V and Enterprise eventually met off Newport, Rhode Island, later that year, the two J’s were well matched in hull profile, but differed significantly in rig. Enterprise’s rigging was lighter, she had the Park Avenue boom, which was so advantageous to windward, and had lots of winches on board. Shamrock V meanwhile, was under-winched and hard work to sail. She has since, however, proved her success in that she is still sailing today.

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In 1929 Sir Thomas Lipton issued a challenge to the Americans for the America's Cup. It was his fifth challenge and signified a whole new era in design evolution and racing. The late 1920s and 1930s also heralded the beginning of an age when yachts from both sides of the Atlantic were being raced under the same rule — the American Universal Rule. Previously, British yachts had raced under the International Rule, a rule that gave an advantage to bermudan rigged yachts, but which was restrictive for boats bigger than 48ft (141—2m). The Americans wanted to race bigger boats and so introduced the Universal Rule. It was based on ideas proposed by Nat Herreshoff and meant waterline length could be increased without sail area being restricted, as it had been under the International Rule. This was compensated by a larger displacement and draught was limited to 15ft (4.6m). The J-Class were the foremost designs under this rule. 

Under the International Rule, yachts were very similar in specification, but under the Universal Rule they differed considerably. Several existing yachts, Astra, Candida, White Heather II and Britannia , were converted to comply with the rule and raced alongside the Js. They cannot, however, be classed as true Js. Of the true J-Class, only ten were ever built and these raced together for just eight seasons from 1930 to 1937. The rules for the J-Class stipulated that length overall had to exceed 120ft; LWL had to be between 79 and 87ft (36.6 x 24-26.5m) and they could displace up to 160 tons. 

In answer to Lipton's challenge of 1929 the Americans designed four J-Class yachts as possible defenders. Enterprise, Whirlwind, Yankee and Weetamoe were launched within a month of each other; Weetamoe and Enterprise from the Herreshoff yard and Yankee and Whirlwind from Lawley & Son's yard in Bristol. 

Enterprise was the first launched on 14 April 1930 and was later chosen as the Cup defender. At 80ft (24.4m) LWL she was shortest of the four US Js and conventional in all aspects. Designed by W Starling Burgess, she had lightweight rigging and was the fastest of the four to windward in moderate airs.

Whirlwind , the second J launched 16 days later, was the most revolutionary of the four. Francis L Herreshoff had moved away from conventional yachts and designed a boat which took the new rule to its extremes. Whirlwind combined many new ideas and Herreshoff experimented with hull shape and rig. She was the longest of the early Js at 86ft (26m) on the waterline and remained so until Ranger and Endeavour II were built in 1937. She was built of semi-composite construction (the other three American Js were built out of the highly expensive tobin bronze), was double-ended and had a permanent backstay. Uffa Fox described her profile as: "Very pleasing to the eye, the stem sweeping down to the keel in a very sweet line, and to a man who, like myself, believes that a pointed stern is a logical ending for all vessels, her stern is a joy to behold." He predicted "If the Yacht Racing Rules govern well and wisely, we shall see Whirlwind racing 50 years hence. If they do not she will probably be cruising then." But Whirlwind met an early demise. Her building was delayed as she didn't meet Lloyd's A1 scantling rules and she wasn't chosen to be the 1930s defender. She was often out-performed when close hauled, her steering gear making her difficult to steer. She was eventually scrapped along with Enterprise in 1935. However, her unusual double headsail rig was later adopted by the rest of the Js.

The third American J, Yankee , was the best all-rounder. At 84ft on the waterline and 125ft (25.6 x 38m) length overall, she was solidly made of tobin bronze and was extremely well balanced. Designed by Frank Paine, Yankee had an almost straight sheerline and easy lines. She was a powerful contender for defender, but not fine tuned enough to succeed. She did, however, take part in the 1934 America's Cup trials and with alterations to her rig, to carry more sail, and bow, which was lengthened and made more of a V-shape, she then proved more successful, especially in light winds.

Of the American Js, Yankee was the only one to sail in British waters when she was bought by Gerald Lambert and crossed the Atlantic in 1935. She was scrapped in 1941.

The fourth of the American Js was Weetamoe , which was designed by Clinton Crane and was the narrowest of the early four. Despite claims that Yankee was the best all-rounder, Weetamoe is said to have been the closest rival to Enterprise to be the Cup defender. Charles Nedwick, in Ian Dear's book Enterprise to Endeavour, describes Weetamoe as having a profile "that is practically a triangle, with a straight line from the after end of the waterline to the bottom of the keel and thence a line which is slightly convex, and then slightly concave to the forward end of the waterline." In an attempt to better performance and make her less tender, her profile below the water was radically altered in 1934 with a new contour and bulb keel. The alterations failed and not long afterwards were reversed. In common with the other Js, she had about 43ft (13m) of overhang and her hull, Nicholson opined, "was the best of all the US Js". 

1930  In August Enterprise qualified for the America’s Cup racing off Mattapoisett Massachusetts by defeating rival yachts Yankee , Whirlwind and Weetamoe . 

The Americans had a distinct advantage over Britain in the 1930 America's Cup. They had the money to build four Js over Britain's one, yet Shamrock V was a hot contender. She was designed by Nicholson and built at the family yard in 1930, and before she crossed the Atlantic to attend the Cup she had notched up more than 700 sea miles (1,296km), won 15 out of the 22 races she had entered and had been tweaked and tested to a high degree. When Shamrock V and Enterprise eventually met off Newport, Rhode Island, later that year, the two Js were well matched in hull profile, but differed significantly in rig. Enterprise's rigging was lighter, she had the Park Avenue boom, which was so advantageous to windward, and had lots of winches on board. Shamrock V meanwhile, was under-winched and hard work to sail. She has since, however, proved her success in that she is still sailing today.

Enterprise , winner of the 14th America’s Cup, in 1930, crushing Shamrock 4-0.  

Just after the America's Cup races, Enterprise was dry-docked. It would never sail again. 

1935 Broken up for scrap.

Source:www.classicboat.co.uk 7/2/2007 

Cup(s) Sailed: 1930 (won)

Crew: 31 

Owners: Winthrop W. Aldrich, Harold S. Vanderbilt, and Vincent Astor

Year Built: 1930

Launched: April 14, 1930 

Type: Keel Sloop, fitted with two centerboards

Designer: William Starling Burgess

Builder: Herreshoff Manufacturing Company

Construction

Frames: Steel

Planking Top: Steel — Supplied by Lukens

Planking Bottom: Tobin Bronze

Mast: Aluminum

Spinnaker Pole: Wood 

Keel Ballast: Lead

Length Overall: 119.7 ft. / 36.49 m

Length Waterline: 80.0 ft. / 24.38 m 

Beam: 22.1 ft. / 6.73 m

Draft: 14.5 ft. / 4.42 m

Draft with Keel Lowered: N/A 

Displacement: 127.6 tons

Tonnage: N⁄A

Sail Area: 2,311.5 sq. ft. / 704.48 sq. m 

Mast: 150.8 ft. / 45.97 m

Boom: 78.8 ft. / 24.01 m

Bowsprit: N/A 

Top Mast: N/A

Source:www.americascup.com 7/2/2007

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YACHT ENTERPRISE HAS HER FIRST SAIL; Completely Rigged, America's Cup Boat Is Taken for Short Spin by H.S. Vanderbilt. CRAFT HANDLED WITH EASE She Goes Up Sound as Far as Larchmont in Puffy Wind--AnotherTest Today. Hoyt and Aldrich in Party. Hauled Back to City Island.

By James Robbins.

• April 20, 1930

Enterprise, first of the America's Cup defense yachts in the water, was completely rigged yesterday and went out under sail from City Island. She sailed up the Sound as far as Larchmont and back. It was not what might be called a real spin, but merely a sail to see how the rig and canvas fitted. View Full Article in Timesmachine »

Originally built for Harold van der Bilt and designed by Starling Burges, Enterprise was the first J to win the America's Cup in 1930. She can be built in aluminium with an almost flush deck without deckhouses. Carbon hi-tech spars, a tall sail plan and an extensively optimised handicap will give this yacht an edge in certain conditions. All naval architecture work and interior design will be by our office. Contact us for more information. 

LOA     38.7 m LWL     24.4 m Beam     6.7 m Draft     4.4 m Yard     t.b.d. Year     t.b.d.

Preston Poulter’s Blog

Reflections of a professional gambler, and a gamer in the decline of America.

The History of the Enterprise J-Class Yacht

I’m considering model sailboats as a new hobby. I never knew how cool these model ships and boats were. They’re perfect little replicas of the actual ships on which they are based; they’ve even got the freaking Park Avenue booms! Of course, if you don’t know what a Park Avenue boom is, you’re got a thing or two to learn about sailboat racing history. But, before I launch into my lengthy dissertation on the America’s Cup Sailboat Enterprise, you’re going to need to imagine yourself very wealthy. After all, as JP Morgan said about Enterprise model yachts, “If you have to ask the price, you can not afford it.”

Early History of the America’s Cup Racing Yachts

You can’t really discuss sailboat racing history without discussing the America’s Cup. It’d be like talking about car racing without mentioning Formula 1. Actually, it’d be worse. Racing cars may be expensive, but racing sailboats are REALLY, REALLY expensive. So expensive in fact that there’s only one real international competiton for wooden sailboat racing: The America’s Cup.

The America’s Cup is a competition between the Americans and the British. Both sides field a single yacht, which is, itself selected by winning qualifying races against similar models. Once each nation has selected the fastest model and crew to compete on behalf of a given nation for that year. Of course, wooden sailboat racing is not only a contest for the crews of the model sailing yachts, but also a contest of the wooden sailboat’s designers. Just as with car racing, technology and innovation come to the forefront of wooden sailboat engineering. As such, the rules continued to evolve about exactly how a particular yacht model could be constructed as, for instance, both of the 1903 America’s Cup racing yachts (The Reliance and The Shamrock III) were so lopsided as to barely be seaworthy on stormy days. The yachts fielded by the Americans were particularly lopsided because they, unlike their British breathern, did not have to be seaworthy enough to actually sail to the racing site under their own power. The Americans, for reasons only wealthy yacht owners understand, could produce a yacht just seaworthy enough to not sink sailing about in closed harbor regatta races.

A new set of rules came down in 1914 called “The Universal Rule” which established classes of racing yachts by the ratio of their length, displacement and the total area of their sails. Previously, length was the only criteria which matter and designers had abused this by putting excessive amounts of sail on those model yachts. Now these factors were accounted for, and different classes of yachts were established by different ratios of these three variables. Of special interest is the J class yacht, because that was the class used for America’s Cup criteria between 1930 and 1937.

The Enterprise J Class Yacht

The J class yachts are some of the beloved of the America’s Cup Wooden Sailboats because they represent an excellent compromise between seaworthiness and speed. As previously mentioned, the rules of The America’s Cup favor the Americans because, during this era, the British yacht had to sail to the racing site under it’s own power. Not so for the Americans. While it may win races, most people would like a sailboat that they can actually sail out of the harbor. Enter the Enterprise Model Yacht.

Enterprise Model yacht

(aka the America’s Cup Sailboat Enterprise or just Enterprise Sailboat) was one of the best known American J Class yachts ever to sail. She was designed by the esteemed Starling Burgess and built in 1930 by Harold Vanderbilt- yes, THOSE Vanderbilts. This is, after all, a sport for the very wealthy. She was built to defend against the British challenger yacht, The Shamrock V, which she did successfully. One of the snazzy new design features which the

had was the Park Avenue boom.

“What’s a Park Avenue boom,” you ask? I’m afraid you’ll never be able to hand with the Vanderbilts asking naive questions like that! Let’s get you educated. Take a look at this picture of the America’s Cup Sailboat Enterprise.

You see that doohickey under the main sail? That’s what we call the Park Avenue boom. It catches the main sail as it’s lowered and makes it easier to manage. How does it do that? Well, the boom has wings which extend outward to catch the mainsail as it is lowered. From there a piece of equipment called a lazy jack ensures that the mainsail is captured within the confines of the recessed area of the boom deck where it hides the bulk of the sail when moored.

What does all that mean? Hell I don’t know. I do understand that it makes the sail easier to manage. Less labor on managing the sail, means a more efficient race, which means the difference between sucking on some hot chicks in the winner’s circle versus sucking some British wake as you watch them sail to victory.

The actual Sailboat Enterprise was sold for scrap in 1935. Alas, she sails no more. In fact, the entire J class

Enterprise sailboat

line has gone the way of the dodo. Along came World War II, and the war effort. These model sailing yachts were seen as too extravagant a use of resources. Even after the way, the J class yachts were seen as too extravagant for post war economies. It seemed no one could afford the J class anymore, and they were replaced with smaller yachts.

So you see the special place that J class yachts have in the history of the America’s Cup. That’s why I love the little model replicas of these things. Now you can own your own little piece of rich, snobby sailing history by buying the

Enterprise Model Yacht

. Owning a little model wooden sailboats allows you to fantasize that you are one of the rich elite who has nothing better to worry about what to do with your millions of dollars than to try to make a faster Wooden Sailboat.

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

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

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Maritime Art, Yachting, J-Class, Edwin Levick, Pair Vintage Photographs, 1930

$ 1,100

Weetamoe Whirlwind Gelatin silver photographs Edwin Levick Studio, New York, c. 1930 Whirlwind: 11 x 14 inches, overall Weetamoe : 10 x 13 inches, overall $1,100, the pair

Scarce pair of photographs of two early J-Class American yachts. One photograph is stamped on the back as from the studio of the renowned maritime photographer Edwin Levick, New York, and identifies the yacht — also on the back of the photograph –in blue pencil as Whirlwind. The other, en suite, is identified as the Weetamoe on the back in graphite pencil. Whirlwind is shown with sheets down, turning windward, with a good view of its deck with five cockpits. Weetamoe faces in the opposite direction, also with sheets down. These two yachts – along with the Yankee and the Enterprise – were built in America as potential entrants in the America’s Cup of 1930. The United States team, as defender, selected the Enterprise from these four J-class ships to defend the title that year. It defeated the British yacht Shamrock V, by a score of 4-0.

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Description

Additional information.

The history of early J-Class yachts – including the Whirlwind and Wettamoe — is well summarized by the J Class Association as follows:

In 1929 Sir Thomas Lipton, owner of Lipton’s famous for his import of Lipton Tea from India, issued his fifth challenge to the Americans for the America’s Cup. He commissioned the build of the first J Class Yacht which signified the start of a new era in design evolution and racing. The Universal Rule came into effect in 1930. The size of a yacht was determined (by waterline length) and this was shown as an alphabetical list. “J” signified yachts with a waterline length of between 75 to 87 feet. The addition of the new design Bermuda mast allowed the yachts to carry a huge sail plan. Nothing so large and ‘awesome’ had been built previously. The Americans had a distinct advantage over Britain in the 1930 America’s Cup. They had the money to build four J’s over Britain’s one, yet the British yacht, Shamrock V was a hot contender. […] In answer to Lipton’s challenge of 1929 the Americans designed four J-Class yachts as possible defenders. Enterprise, Whirlwind, Yankee and Weetamoe were launched within a month of each other; Weetamoe and Enterprise from the Herreshoff yard and Yankee and Whirlwind from Lawley & Son’s yard in Bristol. Whirlwind, the second J, was the most revolutionary of the four. Francis L Herreshoff had moved away from conventional yachts and designed a boat, which took the new rule to its extreme. Whirlwind combined many new ideas and Herreshoff experimented with hull shape and rig. She was the longest of the early J’s at 86ft on the waterline and remained so until Ranger and Endeavour II were built in 1937. She was built of semi-composite construction (the other three American Js were built out of the highly expensive Tobin bronze), was double-ended and had a permanent backstay. Uffa Fox described her profile as: “Very pleasing to the eye, the stem sweeping down to the keel in a very sweet line, and to a man who, like myself, believes that a pointed stern is a logical ending for all vessels, her stern is a joy to behold.” He predicted, “If the Yacht Racing Rules govern well and wisely, we shall see Whirlwind racing 50 years hence. If they do not she will probably be cruising then.” But Whirlwind met an early demise. Her building was delayed as she didn’t meet Lloyd’s A1 scantling rules and she wasn’t chosen to be the 1930s defender. She was often out-performed when close hauled, her steering gear making her difficult to steer. She was eventually scrapped along with Enterprise in 1935. However, her unusual double-headsail rig was later adopted by the rest of the Js. […] The fourth of the American J’s was Weetamoe, which was designed by Clinton Crane and was the narrowest of the early four. Despite claims that Yankee was the best all-rounder, Weetamoe is said to have been the closest rival to Enterprise to be the Cup defender. Charles Nedwick, in Ian Dear’s book Enterprise to Endeavour, describes Weetamoe as having a profile “that is practically a triangle, with a straight line from the after end of the waterline to the bottom of the keel and thence a line which is slightly convex, and then slightly concave to the forward end of the waterline.” In an attempt to better performance and make her less tender, her profile below the water was radically altered in 1934 with a new contour and bulb keel. The alterations failed and not long afterwards were reversed. In common with the other J’s, she had about 43ft of overhang and her hull, Nicholson opined, “was the best of all the US Js”.

Edwin Levick (1869-1929) was the most renowned maritime photographer of the first half of the 20th century. He was born in England and immigrated to the United States in 1899. He started a photography business, supplying photographs to many of the leading newspapers of the day. Soon he developed the specialty of maritime photography, but continued to do so called spot news photography. He lived in New Rochelle, New York, for the last 15 years of his life. His obituary in the New York Times credited him as being “one of the first to take pictures of events and objects of news value and to supply them to newspapers and magazines. In this field of photography he was recognized as a leader throughout the United States.” Levick’s company continued with the same photography specialties for about a decade thereafter. The Mariner’s Museum, Newport News, Virginia, and the New-York Historical Society have substantial numbers of his photographs in their collections. The latter has over 200 of Levick’s large format film negatives.

Condition: Generally very good with the usual overall light toning, wear, handling

References:

“1929-1937.” J Class Association. https://www.jclassyachts.com/history/1919-1937- (4 August 2020).

“Edwin Levick Dies at 61.” New York Times. 17 November 1929. p. 20. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1929/11/27/94212080.html?pageNumber=20 (4 August 2020).

“Edwin Levick studio photograph collection.” Archivegrid. https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/collection/data/773790216 (4 August 2020).

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• Ships of Scale Build Logs
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America's Cup 1930 J Class Enterprise - Amati - scale 1:80

• Thread starter zoly99sask
• Start date Jan 14, 2017

Administrator

• Jan 14, 2017

• Jan 18, 2017

Are you taking a break from the Santa Maria or building the two in parallel?  

• Jan 19, 2017

I like the Amati line of kits. Good luck on this one.  

Graham said: Are you taking a break from the Santa Maria or building the two in parallel? Click to expand...

GaryM said: I like the Amati line of kits. Good luck on this one. Click to expand...

• Aug 31, 2017

Hello Bob!  

• Sep 9, 2017

Hello, have you suspended work on your America's cup yacht? I just got my Ranger kit and am looking for more detailed information on the construction of the mast and boom.  

Hello Bob,I am just busy with other projects.  

• Sep 10, 2017

OK, I'm in no rush. I won't be starting on the Ranger for a while most likely.  

Kurt Konrath

• Jun 23, 2020

good lead in story on the J class and Park Avenue Boom. I have a small fiberglass sailing boat. A 14' Lido, designed as a small class racer for west coast boys with bigger boats. Mine is down for maintenance as it needs a new transom installed. But it was fast little center keel board boat for evening or weekend sail with kids. She was designed for two adults or one adult and two youth.  

• Jul 26, 2020

I love the classic J-Class for appearance and performance at the time. Almost as impressive as the International Schooners like Bluenose and her competitors. The present shift to hydro dragsters storming back and forth in San Francisco Bay really did not show me seamanship or seaworthyness as they are still in an experimental stage of limited conditions racing. Give me the old days of round the bouys racing in a class of mutilple boats over one on one handicapped racing. Great build selection! PT-2  

• Jul 18, 2021

Great story! I built the Rainbow from Amati as my first kit. It was quite a ride to get the hull smooth and the rigging done right. How is the Enterprise coming along?  

modlerbob said: OK, I'm in no rush. I won't be starting on the Ranger for a while most likely. Click to expand...

Buffalo Jack

• May 24, 2023

zoly99sask said: Hello everybody, this is my new build log for the America's Cup 1930 J Class Enterprise,I received this kit from Model Shipway around 10 years ago, never ordered it, I gave them a call and explained what happened, they said that's fine just return it, and I did, and few weeks later came back again.Of course, I kept it. So here we go I decided to build it, hopefully comes out something good. A little history about the ship. The History of the Enterprise J-Class Yacht I’m considering model sailboats as a new hobby. I never knew how cool these model ships and boats were. They’re perfect little replicas of the actual ships on which they are based; they’ve even got the freaking Park Avenue booms! Of course, if you don’t know what a Park Avenue boom is, you’re got a thing or two to learn about sailboat racing history. But, before I launch into my lengthy dissertation on the America’s Cup Sailboat Enterprise, you’re going to need to imagine yourself very wealthy. After all, as JP Morgan said about Enterprise model yachts, “If you have to ask the price, you can not afford it.” Early History of the America’s Cup Racing Yachts You can’t really discuss sailboat racing history without discussing the America’s Cup. It’d be like talking about car racing without mentioning Formula 1. Actually, it’d be worse. Racing cars may be expensive, but racing sailboats are REALLY, REALLY expensive. So expensive in fact that there’s only one real international competition for wooden sailboat racing: The America’s Cup. The America’s Cup is a competition between the Americans and the British. Both sides field a single yacht, which is, itself selected by winning qualifying races against similar models. Once each nation has selected the fastest model and crew to compete on behalf of a given nation for that year. Of course, wooden sailboat racing is not only a contest for the crews of the model sailing yachts, but also a contest of the wooden sailboat’s designers. Just as with car racing, technology and innovation come to the forefront of wooden sailboat engineering. As such, the rules continued to evolve about exactly how a particular yacht model could be constructed as, for instance, both of the 1903 America’s Cup racing yachts (The Reliance and The Shamrock III) were so lopsided as to barely be seaworthy on stormy days. The yachts fielded by the Americans were particularly lopsided because they, unlike their British breathern, did not have to be seaworthy enough to actually sail to the racing site under their own power. The Americans, for reasons only wealthy yacht owners understand, could produce a yacht just seaworthy enough to not sink sailing about in closed harbor regatta races. A new set of rules came down in 1914 called “The Universal Rule” which established classes of racing yachts by the ratio of their length, displacement and the total area of their sails. Previously, length was the only criteria which matter and designers had abused this by putting excessive amounts of sail on those model yachts. Now these factors were accounted for, and different classes of yachts were established by different ratios of these three variables. Of special interest is the J class yacht, because that was the class used for America’s Cup criteria between 1930 and 1937. The Enterprise J Class Yacht The J class yachts are some of the beloved of the America’s Cup Wooden Sailboats because they represent an excellent compromise between seaworthiness and speed. As previously mentioned, the rules of The America’s Cup favor the Americans because, during this era, the British yacht had to sail to the racing site under it’s own power. Not so for the Americans. While it may win races, most people would like a sailboat that they can actually sail out of the harbor. Enter the Enterprise Model Yacht. The ENTERPRISE MODEL YACHT (aka the America’s Cup Sailboat Enterprise or just Enterprise Sailboat) was one of the best known American J Class yachts ever to sail. She was designed by the esteemed Starling Burgess and built in 1930 by Harold Vanderbilt- yes, THOSE Vanderbilts. This is, after all, a sport for the very wealthy. She was built to defend against the British challenger yacht, The Shamrock V, which she did successfully. One of the snazzy new design features which the ENTERPRISE MODEL YACHT had was the Park Avenue boom. “What’s a Park Avenue boom,” you ask? I’m afraid you’ll never be able to hand with the Vanderbilts asking naive questions like that! Let’s get you educated. Take a look at this picture of America’s Cup Sailboat Enterprise. You see that doohickey under the mainsail? That’s what we call the Park Avenue boom. It catches the mainsail as it’s lowered and makes it easier to manage. How does it do that? Well, the boom has wings which extend outward to catch the mainsail as it is lowered. From there a piece of equipment called a lazy jack ensures that the mainsail is captured within the confines of the recessed area of the boom deck where it hides the bulk of the sail when moored. What does all that mean? Hell, I don’t know. I do understand that it makes the sail easier to manage. Less labour on managing the sail means a more efficient race, which means the difference between sucking on some hot chicks in the winner’s circle versus sucking some British wake as you watch them sail to victory. The actual Sailboat Enterprise was sold for scrap in 1935. Alas, she sails no more. In fact, the entire J class ENTERPRISE SAILBOAT line has gone the way of the dodo. Along came World War II, and the war effort. These model sailing yachts were seen as too extravagant a use of resources. Even after the way, the J class yachts were seen as too extravagant for post-war economies. It seemed no one could afford the J class anymore, and they were replaced with smaller yachts. So you see the special place that J class yachts have in the history of America’s Cup. That’s why I love the little model replicas of these things. Now you can own your own little piece of rich, snobby sailing history by buying the ENTERPRISE MODEL YACHT. Owning a little model wooden sailboats allows you to fantasize that you are one of the rich elite who has nothing better to worry about what to do with your millions of dollars than to try to make a faster Wooden Sailboat.Source: http://prestonpoulte...-j-class-yacht/ I took a few pictures of the content: Zoltan View attachment 33375 View attachment 33376 View attachment 33377 View attachment 33368 View attachment 33369 View attachment 33370 View attachment 33371 View attachment 33378 View attachment 33373 View attachment 33374 ​ Click to expand...

Peter Gutterman

• Oct 2, 2023

The "Park Avenue Boom" was triangular in cross section and widest across the top, which was fitted with a series of tracks with slides and holes for pins along their length. These slides are secured to the bottom of the mainsail by a steel jackstay. The slides could travel freely along the length of the tracks when tacking. The airfoil of the sail could then be adjusted, according to the predicted wind conditions, by limiting the travel of the slides across the tracks with the pins. The wider apart the pins were, the greater the luff of the sail. More in the middle, less at the ends. The name "Park Avenue" was adopted because the width of the boom at its' widest would accommodate two men walking abreast. Hence "A stroll down Park Avenue". The design apparently proved successful, as it was widely adopted by the designers of the class. Source: "Enterprise to Endeavour" by Ian Dear pg. 66 A great and entertaining book for everything J-Class Sloop history. These Amati kits are fun to build with good instructions, diagrams, plans and English translation. I'm on my third. The finished "Endeavor" and "Rainbow" are on the finished models forum. Pete  

• Oct 3, 2023

Hi Zolly great little project, great story. I'll definitely stay tuned.  

J-Yacht Enterprise, 1930 Half Hull

Product description, accessories.

Nautical Antiques | Lannan Ship Model Gallery – Lannan Gallery

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Lannan Gallery

Enterprise | America's Cup Yacht | 1930

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Enterprise model of the 1930 America's Cup race. Model has an ivory hull with dark bronze below the waterline. Deck details include binnacles, capstan, winch, rope coils and hatches. A full suit of stitched linen sails is rigged. Model is mounted to a custom molded mahogany baseboard with turned brass pedestals. Brass trimmed glass dome.

Dimensions:  33" long x 13" wide x 39" high

Model can be purchased without case. Details here .

*Shipping weight is based on approximate weight class after packing.

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A look at the most expensive superyachts at the Palm Beach yacht show and their insane features, from basketball courts on deck to ice baths and saunas

• The Palm Beach International Boat Show kicks off later this week.
• Eight megayachts are expected to be on display for would-be buyers and charter customers.
• These are the show's biggest yachts — and how many millions of dollars they are going for.

The Palm Beach International Boat Show — the yacht world's flashiest event stateside — is returning this year with over 800 boats for both deep-pocketed potential owners and window shoppers to peruse.

While it's impossible to know what exactly will be on display until the show begins on Thursday, it's expected that eight megayachts — generally defined as ships over 60 meters long — will be docked at the show and at nearby marinas like the Rybovich Marina in the ritzy Florida town.

Some of these are for sale at eye-popping prices, but others are available to charter in case you fancy living like a billionaire for a week or two this summer (and if you have six figures to spare on a vacation).

These are the eight biggest yachts that will be at the Palm Beach International Boat Show and nearby marinas, in size order.

Nero: 90.1 meters

Price: From $497,000 a week (charter) Standout features: Pizza ovens, beauty salon, massage room, resistance pool

Reportedly owned by Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien, Nero is modeled after J.P. Morgan's 1930s ship , and was built in 2007 and updated in 2021.

She now boasts a gym on her sundeck with multiple cardio machines and a beauty salon, and has an on-board beautician for manicure, pedicure, hair, and massage needs. There's also an upgraded movie theater, two new pizza ovens, and both a pool and a jacuzzi.

For those who want to go overboard, she has more than a dozen toys, including a waterslide, Jet Ski, and flyboard.

Victorious: 85 meters

Price: From $876,600 a week in the summer and $950,000 a week in the winter Standout features: Hammam (Turkish bath), wine cellar, wood-burning fireplace, children's playroom

Victorious brings a party vibe to the yacht show. With a beach club on board, a wine cellar, a cigar clubroom , multiple bars, and a lounge with a piano, the vessel is made for entertaining. Plus, there's a playroom and movie theater to entertain the kids.

For tamer charter clients, Victorious has a suite of wellness features such as a gym, massage room, beauty salon and hammam — perhaps a custom request of her owner, Turkish businessman Vural Ak.

She also boasts a treasure trove of water toys, including Jet Skis, jetsurfs, inflatable kayaks, and scuba equipment.

Casino Royale: 72 meters

Price: TBD Special Features: Infinity pool, helipad, private jacuzzi

Purchased and refitted by car dealer magnate John Staluppi last year, Casino Royale is the latest of his James Bond-inspired yachts (he's also owned an Octopussy and a Skyfall, among others).

Casino Royale has a helipad that turns into a dancefloor, an infinity pool, and a wellness center with a gym and sauna. The owner's cabin has its own deck, which features a private bar and jacuzzi.

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However, the boat's price isn't listed, and while she's not necessarily officially for sale, that might change depending on who's prepared to buy, Mr. Bond.

Talisman C: 70.6 meters

Price: $60 million (or from $567,000 a week to charter) Special features: Massage and beauty room, private library

Likely the largest yacht for sale (not just charter) at the show, the Talisman C is a 2011 six-bedroom boat. The owner's cabin comes with an en suite bathroom, dressing room, private library, and crystal chandeliers.

Amenities include a gym, a beauty room, oversized jacuzzi, and a fully equipped bar. Her crew of 19 includes a trained masseuse, and the toy room comes equipped with a wakeboard, eFoil , and WaveRunners.

Joy: 70 meters

Price: From $650,000 a week Special features: Disco club, basketball court, onboard fitness instructor

Superyacht Joy testifies to the fact that owners want as many on-board experiences as they can get.

There's an expansive suite of fitness features, including a basketball court (don't shoot that hoop too hard!), a personal trainer on staff, boxing equipment, and a handful of machines. For post-workout winddowns, there's a spa with a steam room and onboard masseuse. And for entertainment, there's both an outdoor and indoor cinema, and a disco club.

Triumph: 65.4 meters

Price: From $707,600 a week in the summer and $650,000 a week in the winter Special features: Sauna, helipad, banana boat

This 2021 superyacht is named after Triumph motorcycles — a reported favorite of her rumored owner, British businessman Chris Dawson — and even has one on display as an art piece in the upper deck's lounge. The primary suite is 1,400 square feet and has its own study , and there's a sauna, an indoor-outdoor gym, a helipad, and a massage room spread among her six decks.

She boasts an "armada of water toys," including two kinds of Jet Skis, electric water bikes, and a banana boat.

Seanna: 64.5 meters

Price: $54,000,000 (or from $462,000 a week to charter) Special features: marble foyer, movie room, sundeck pool

The recently refurbished Seanna is available for sale and charter.

Her indoor-outdoor gym is on sea level so that passengers can take a dip after a session with the onboard personal trainer. There's also a sundeck pool, a helipad, a two-room massage facility, and, for the more cerebral guests, a library with an electric fireplace.

There are a number of toys on board, including a popular water trampoline and two WaveRunners.

Come Together: 60 meters

Price: $65,000,000 Special Features: DJ and videographer on board, ice bath, sauna

Next-to-new yacht Come Together is looking for a new owner after doing charters during the 2023 season.

The Beatles' influence is evident beyond the yacht's name, with guitars dotting the sky lounge and a crewmember who doubles as a DJ. There's also an outdoor cinema and bar for entertainment and an ice bath and sauna for the day after the party. The owner's suite has a private study and lounge, and each guest cabin has its own ensuite.

The sale includes a number of toys, like Jet Skis, kayaks, and Seabobs.

Watch: Inside the world's biggest cruise ship that just set sail

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The Charnel-House

From bauhaus to beinhaus.

Moscow metro

Buried treasure: The splendor of the Moscow Metro system

Owen hatherley the calvert journal january 29, 2013.

. Reposted from  The Calvert Journal , a daily briefing on the culture and creativity of modern Russia.

. Post-Communist underground stations in Moscow, like the recently completed Pyatnitskoye shosse, are still, very visibly, Moscow Metro stations. Regardless of the need or otherwise for nuclear shelters, they’re still buried deep in the ground; ubiquitous still is the expensive, laborious, but highly legible and architecturally breathtaking practice of providing high-ceilinged vaults with the trains leaving from either side. There have been attempts at “normal” metro lines, like the sober stations built under Khrushchev, or the “Light Metro” finished in 2003, but they didn’t catch on. Largely, the model developed in the mid-1930s continues, and not just in Moscow — extensions in Kiev or St Petersburg, or altogether new systems in Kazan or Almaty, carry on this peculiar tradition. Metro stations are still being treated as palaces of the people, over two decades after the “people’s” states collapsed. This could be a question of maintaining quality control, but then quality is not conspicuous in the Russian built environment. So why does this endure?

. The original, 1930s Moscow Metro was the place where even the most skeptical fellow travellers threw away their doubts and surrendered. Bertolt Brecht wrote an awe-filled poem on the subject, “The Moscow Workers Take Possession of the Great Metro on April 27, 1935,” dropping his habitual irony and dialectic to describe the Metro workers perusing the system they’d built on the day of its opening. At the end, the poet gasps, his guard down, “This is the grand picture that once upon a time/ rocked the writers who foresaw it” — that is, that here, at least, a dream of “Communism” had been palpably built. It was not an uncommon reaction, then or now, nostalgia notwithstanding. The first stations, those Brecht was talking about, were not particularly over-ornamented, especially by the standards of what came later, but their extreme opulence and spaciousness was still overwhelming. Stations like Sokolniki or Kropotkinskaya didn’t bludgeon with classical reminisces and mosaics. Yet three things about the underground designs created by architects Alexei Dushkin, Ivan Fomin, Dmitry Chechulin et al were unprecedented in any previous public transport network, whether Charles Holden’s London, Alfred Grenander’s Berlin or Hector Guimard’s Paris. First, the huge size of the halls, their high ceilings and widely-spaced columns; second, the quality of the materials, with various coloured marbles shipped in from all over the USSR; and third, the lighting, emerging from individually-designed, surreal chandeliers, often murkily atmospheric, designed to create mood rather than light.

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Enterprise 1930 America's Cup Yacht 20" J Class Boat Wood Model

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Product Description

This high quality, highly detailed, America's Cup Collection, U.S. Defender Enterprise 1930 yacht model is fully assembled and ready for display (not a kit) and it measures 20" overall length x 27" height x 4" width .

Shipped with the masts, rigging and sails folded down separate from the hull, assembles in minutes, rigging attaches with hooks, no knot tying (a moderate skill level is required). You just need to insert the mast in it's designated hole and attach the brass rigging hooks as shown in the pictures. All the sails are made of cloth with detailed stitching.

The Enterprise Yacht model is scratched built plank on bulkhead by skillful and creative master craftsmen. Strip by strip of rare, high quality wood were put together. The hull is sanded smooth and painted white with a red cove stripe and blue bottom. Only high quality wood and metal were used to build the model, absolutely no plastic parts. This beautiful model is resting on a painted solid wooden stand with metal supports. To enhanced value and recognition, a metal name plate embedded with “Enterprise” is provided.

The Enterprise was designed by Starling Burgess & Nat Herreshoff. Together, they created the largest and fastest racing machine ever seen. This great and gorgeous J-boat was eighty feet long at the water line and sported a heavy keel with two centerboards. Her great 162-foot mast tapered from one and one-half feet at the base to nine inches at the top. It was made of two hollow tubes of aluminum and was supported by a large array of stays and rigging. Below deck she had two dozen winches for handling lines. Enterprise made short work of the other three would-be defenders of the Cup and was chosen to take on Shamrock V off Newport, Rhode Island. There, in September 1930, she went on to win a clean sweep of four races, maintaining the 80 year record of uninterrupted possession of Americas Cup. This model measures 20" long from front to rear. It's a fabulous Yacht that will be a conversation piece for any room or office. Highlights about this America's Cup model:

• 100% hand built from scratch using “plank on frame” construction method
• Included with this modern style yacht model is a wood base with a metal name plate
• Size: 20" overall length x 27" height x 4" width
• Condition: New Excellent (fully assembled)
• Hundreds of hours where required to finish this model
• Completed model contains thousands of details created by skillful master craftsmen
• Made of finest rare, high quality wood
• Brass fittings and ornaments constitute the excellence of this model
• This model went through a demanding quality control process before leaving the workshop

Many More America's Cup Yacht Wooden Model Sailboats Are Available.

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