Sailing Yacht Shamrock V, 1930s Classic, in Water After Multi-Year Restoration

Ninety-four years after her original launch, the iconic J Class sailing yacht Shamrock V is a step closer to racing again. She relaunched following years of painstaking work, including stripping her back to bare wood and unfastening every bolt. Equally noteworthy, the hands-on owner and a hand-picked team oversaw and handled the work themselves.

the relaunch of the yacht Shamrock V — PHOTO: Waterline Media

Although it’s been two years since work began, the biggest challenges date to 2017. Shamrock V suffered extensive damage competing in the America’s Cup J Class regatta in Bermuda. Given that the wooden yacht, from 1930, is the only J Class project never to have become derelict, repair was crucial. (The yacht has undergone major previous work, including a dramatic restoration starting in 1989. However, she was never abandoned.) The owner at the time sent her to Europe for evaluation. But, it was taking too long to complete, so he listed her for sale. Shamrock V’s current owner acquired her in 2022. He’d actually made an initial offer in 2017, wanting her to join his fleet, which already included a modern classic. He additionally understood what it would take to repair her, having commissioned restorations of yachts and land projects.

Thankfully, the crew who had Shamrock V laid up in 2017 had taken proper care of her. Still, though, questions remained as to the extent of rot and rust of steel frames, bolt integrity, and more. The ABS survey from that period listed 10 pages of worrisome conditions. The sailing yacht had seized-up mechanical systems, split planks, twisted frames, compromised watertight bulkheads, significant water ingress, and more. Only two things were certain. Firstly, the owner wanted restoration to occur in the UK. He believed in the skilled trades of the country. Secondly, he assembled an experienced team for consultation—who determined rebuild was indeed possible.

Not that it would be easy, though. The owner rented hard space at Saxon Wharf in Southampton, England. There, the sailing yacht Shamrock V sat within a purpose-built three-story tent. Adjacent buildings served as storage and staging areas. As for the team, it included two experienced project managers, namely Feargus Bryan and Paul Spooner, Together, they had just overseen the restoration of the 1927 sailing yacht Cynara. Dykstra Naval Architects provide input as well, based on its experience with J Class yachts. Naturally, ABS inspectors also were integral. Collectively, they decided stripping the yacht would best determine the extent of damage and therefore how to proceed. Although it took four months, the conclusion was that redoing everything down to the last bolt was necessary to ensure the sailing yacht would last decades more.

Bryan and Spooner selected the carpenters, shipwrights, engineers, and other craftspeople, an average of 30 contributing. The man-hours, however, were far higher, upwards of 100,000, partly resulting from necessary double shifts. Bryan, Spooner, and the owner all agree that the effort paid off. More than 95 percent of the teak from a 1970 re-planking remains. About 70 percent of her mechanical systems successfully underwent refurbishment. Unfortunately, none of the 6,500 original bronze alloy bolts were salvageable. Though the craftspeople replaced every one of them with a new custom-crafted bolt, they did restore 62 percent of the steel framing.

Remarkably, “Some of our artisans were using hand tools that were used on Shamrock’s original build,” says Giles Brotherton, the chief shipwright during the restoration. A veteran of renowned classic restorations, Brotherton notes the rarity of this particular project’s scale. “It is without doubt the biggest and arguably the most important yacht restoration in the world today,” he asserts.

Furthermore, Adam Lay Studio redesigned the saloon, entirely in mahogany, to complement the restored remainder of the interior. The sailing yacht Shamrock V will soon have her mast re-stepped, with repaired rigging from Marine Results. Equally notable, the yacht carries the first five-star environmental certificate from the SEA Index.

The iconic sailing yacht Shamrock V is remaining in the UK through July. Sail testing and race training still need to take place, for instance. Once the tasks are complete, she’ll participate in informal J Class events. She’ll formally compete, though, in the J Class regatta during the America’s Cup in Barcelona in October. Interestingly, the owner’s team says it could be three more years before she’ll hit her full racing prowess. They do see potential for a shorter timeframe if the J Class Association adopts the Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) rating system. Historically, it has used its own rating system, which is complex.

Adam Lay Studio adamlaystudio.co.uk

Marine Results marineresults.com

Saxon Wharf mdlmarinas.co.uk/marinas/mdl-saxon-wharf