Enterprise Limited 27"

Wind and waves will take you away on Enterprise racing model sailboats with these Limited Edition yacht models of the famous America’s Cup winner. This high-quality model yacht is adorned with finely-crafted features, and graceful lines make her perfect for any bedroom shelf, sunroom mantle or upon an office desk. 

27" High x 4" Wide x 20" Long (1:72 scale)

• Accurate museum-quality scale replica of the real Enterprise racing yacht
• Individual plank on frame construction of the hull using fine quality woods, with each plank and wood grain visible through the paint
• High quality Craftsmanship and Details include:
  • High quality woods used in construction of hull and deck features
  • Numerous of details and items on deck, including deck cleats, window panes in deckhouses, tied-down lifeboat and more
  • Finely stitched cloth sails
• Limited production run of these sailboats models
• Certificate of Authenticity individually numbered and signed by HMS Founder and Master Builder Richard Norris
• Significant research to guarantee accuracy of this model includes sources such as photos, historical plans and original artwork
• Pre-assembled, simply attach the masts and display
  • Ready to display in less than five minutes
  • Separate pre-assembled hull and sails ensure safe shipping and lower cost
  • Insert mast in designated hole and clip brass rigging hooks as shown in illustrations
  • Sails and rigging already complete

The J Class has its roots in the oldest sporting race in the world, The America's Cup. This International Event was born from an annual race around the Isle of Wight, hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron and called the '100 Guinea Cup'. In 1851, an overseas yacht was allowed to participate for the first time. The yacht "America" was built that year to an innovative new design and had sailed to the Solent in search of racing. Initially excluded from racing against British yachts, she was finally allowed to enter the Round The Island Race for the '100 Guinea Cup'.

With the complex tides and shallow areas of the Solent it was natural for 'America' to hire the services of a Pilot and in due course Robert Underwood was employed to guide them through the very tricky waters off the Island. Although the race programme was advertised as rounding the Nab Buoy and then the Isle of Wight, leaving all to Starboard, this was not what was printed by the RYS on the instruction cards and whilst the four leaders tacked away to round the Nab lightship, Underwood directed "America's" Skipper to press on through the shallow area, missing the Nab Buoy and saving a very considerable distance. Naturally "America" took the lead and held it to win the race, although the nearest British boat closed to just a few minutes behind ‘America’ at the finish.

The Trophy became known as the "America's Cup" and was taken back to the USA. Yachts were able to challenge to win back the cup and a series of larger and larger yachts were designed to compete.

Pre-war J Class yachts signified the most opulent stage of maritime racing history, where the towering rigs of the Big Boat Class such as ‘Lulworth’ and ‘Britannia’ dwarfed all other yachts. 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.

1929 to 1939

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. The Americans wanted to race bigger boats and so introduced the Universal Rule in 1930. Within this rule 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. With the addition of the new design Bermuda mast, rigging and sail plan, nothing so large and 'awesome' had been built previously.

The rule was based on ideas proposed by Nat Herreshoff allowing waterline length to be increased without sail area being restricted, as it had been under the International Rule. This was compensated by a larger displacement and so draught was limited to 15ft. The J-Class were the foremost designs under this rule which defined the size with a new formula:

Several existing large British yachts, ‘Astra’, ‘Candida’, ‘White Heather II’ and ‘Britannia’, were converted to comply with the rule and raced alongside the J's. Of the true J-Class, only ten were ever built (4 in the UK and 6 in USA) and these raced together for just eight seasons from 1930 to 1937.

Sir Thomas Lipton was the owner of the English grocery chain Liptons, and famous for his import of Lipton Tea from India. He challenged on each occasion as a member of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club in Northern Ireland. RUYC are still involved with The Cup - presenting the Royal Ulster Cup to the Club of the winning challenger. www.ruyc.co.uk

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 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. 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.

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.