Experience History Aboard Endeavour, Renowned J Class Yacht: Gallery

Feeling as if you’re stepping back in time is one thing. Owning a piece of history is quite another. That opportunity awaits you, as the famed J Class Endeavour is on the market.

To see the 130-foot (39.56-meter) Endeavour, it’s impressive to realize she dates back to 1934. The English aviation entrepreneur and yachting enthusiast Sir Thomas Sopwith commissioned her with one goal: win the America’s Cup. By all accounts, Sopwith spared nothing to make that happen. Camper & Nicholsons in Gosport, England built her, to Charles E. Nicholson’s design. Sopwith himself contributed, too. Endeavour employed then-cutting-edge aviation technology in her rig and winches. Sopwith even took her helm in races leading up to the America’s Cup, winning each one. Despite taking the first two America’s Cup races, though, Endeavour lost to Rainbow in the final four. As the J Class Association recounts it:

Endeavour pioneered the development of the Quadrilateral genoa, a two-clewed headsail offering immense sail area and power, and still used on J Class yachts racing today. She also had a larger and better designed spinnaker, but Sopwith was let down by poor crewing. Just prior to departure for the USA, his professional crew went on strike for more money, and Sopwith was forced to round up keen amateur sailors, who had the enthusiasm but not the experience.

Endeavour continued to wow spectators until World War II. She changed hands in the 1940s and nearly became scrap in 1947. In fact, mere hours before the scheduled dismantling, a buyer stepped forward. More ownership changes followed—as did tragedies. She sank in the 1970s in Cowes, and nearly was scrapped again until two carpenters bought her. The price: 10 British pounds. They got Endeavour to float again via plastic bags. Yet another sinking in the 1980s befell her, along the Solent. Rusting, and lacking vital gear like her rudder plus her interior, Endeavour finally seemed doomed. In came Elizabeth Meyer, an American with an affinity for Js—and who knew she simply had to buy and restore the yacht. It took five years, but 1989 saw Endeavour sail again. (On a side note, Meyer went on to establish J Class Management to restore, document, and manage classic yachts and historic buildings.)

The entirely new deck, rebuilt rig, and re-created interior of Endeavour have served her well since then. A significant refit from 2011 to 2012 has kept her looking, and performing, well. She’s solely been in private use, no chartering—though, if you follow J Class yachts, you may recall she’s raced against fellow Js in recent years.

You can have her compete in quite the setting next year in Bermuda, too, during the Js regatta coinciding with the America’s Cup. Take an armchair tour here of her decks and interior, accommodating eight guests and seven crew. Endeavor is part of the central agency of Edmiston, with an asking price of €17.5 million (nearly $19.4 million at press time).

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