The 1934 J Class Endeavour – one of the most historic sailing yachts on the water today – has undergone a substantial €2.5 million price reduction at Edmiston. She is currently lying in Palma, available for inspection, with a reduced asking price of €17.5 million.

The 39.6m Camper & Nicholsons build was commissioned by Sir Thomas Sopwith, an English aviation pioneer and yachtsman, to challenge for the 1934 Americas Cup. Her build pioneered the development of the quadrilateral genoa, a two clewed headsail that offers immense sail area and power and is still used on J Class yachts racing today. As such, she accumulated many racing accolades in her first season and became a very well known yacht on the circuit.

39.6m Endeavour 

She has passed through the hands of many since her delivery, with her fate often hanging by a thread. In 1947 the yacht was sold to a scrap merchant, only to be saved hours before her demolition by a buyer. In the 1970s she sank in the Medina River in Cowes, before being bought for £10 by two carpenters who patched the holes in her hull with plastic bags to get her afloat. However, despite their efforts, Endeavour was merely an abandoned wreck by the 1980s.

In 1989 she was completely rebuilt at Dutch shipyard Royal Huisman, with new decks, rigging, sailing gear and interior. In 2011/2012 she underwent further, and more extensive refit work at Yachting Developments in New Zealand – to the extent that only the gearbox and propeller were left untouched. Whilst much care was taken in preserving her originality, she did receive some 21st century sailing system upgrades where possible. She subsequently won the St Barth’s Bucket J Class prize in 2012 and has only seen light use since.

Dykstra & Partners was highly involved in the new sail plan design, deck layouts, hull rebuild, engine & mechanical system replacements and upgrades, and the new carbon fibre mast was built by Southern Spars. Accommodation forward of the mast has been reconfigured by John Munford and Adam Lay, with the new interior built in-house by Yachting Developments.

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Edmiston & Company (Brokerage)

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