J Class sailing yacht Shamrock V was built in 1930 for Sir Thomas Lipton for his fifth and final America's Cup challenge. She is one of three of the original Js still around today and the only one to have been built in wood. While she has been restored many times in her life, Shamrock V is the only J that never fell into total disrepair. Now under new ownership, Shamrock V has begun the most extensive rebuild since her launch. BOAT International editor-in-chief Stewart Campbell catches up with her new custodian...
Congratulations on your purchase of a J! Can you describe the state she was in when you first laid eyes on her?
She was dismasted and left open to the elements at Southampton Yacht Services (SYS) after being structurally compromised in heavy seas during the St Barths Bucket in 2017. Some of the planking was split and the rust was extensive. But the interior didn’t smell rotten and, huge credit to the previous crew (led by Captain Simon Lacey), she had been laid up with meticulous care – an indication of their professionalism and the respect with which all crews seem to treat the vessel.
What attracted you to the project?
She’s a beautiful yacht and an important piece of our heritage. She was the first British contender for the America’s Cup to carry a Bermudan rig. She was built in wood with steel frames, and is the only original J Class never to have fallen into dereliction. She deserves to be on the water.
How have you approached the work?
The first step was to consult with experienced refit hands and appoint a joint project management team of Paul Spooner and Feargus Bryan, fresh from their restoration of the 1927 two-masted, gaff-rigged cutter Cynara. We communicate almost daily and meet on board at SYS every three weeks to review progress and make informed decisions together, and we’ve consulted surveyors from ABS for further guidance. The result is a full strip-down to repair the structure, and a sympathetic reassembly using almost all of the original wood, fixtures and fittings. We have an excellent team of shipwrights and artisans using tools as old as Shamrock herself.
Can you estimate when the work will be finished?
Refit times are more of an art than a science but, even with the economic environment and reckoning with supply chain and logistical challenges, we aim to have her back on the Solent towards the end of next summer, and certainly in good time for the 2024 America’s Cup in Barcelona.
What does it mean to you to be the custodian of such a historic yacht?
Exactly that, a custodian. Shamrock is coming up to her centenary and we are preparing her for her next 100 years. All of us working on this incredible yacht know that the work we do will be judged by those who come after. What has been striking is the depth and warmth of response to this refit. Everyone wants it to go well and for Shamrock to be back where she belongs.
Do you have any idea where you’ll base her?
You ask this question in the middle of a heatwave when the Solent has never looked more inviting! We’ll certainly spend time up here, but suspect that the Med makes more sense longer-term. Our other sailing yacht, the 27.43 metre modern classic Savannah, is based in Saint Tropez, although Shamrock’s longer legs could see her on both sides of the Atlantic, and maybe even further.
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