1930 America’s Cup
In 1930 Sir Thomas Lipton was ready to make his 5th and final challenge for the America’s Cup with his Shamrock V. Designed by Charles E Nicholson England foremost yacht designer, the new yacht was to be built to the J Class, which was part of the Universal Rule. The Universal Rule was introduced to help produce stronger more seaworthy yachts than those that had raced for the Americas Cup prior to the first world war. Shamrock V was also Bermudan rigged, a rig that had become popular in the 1920s with the greater understanding of aerodynamics. Though the J class yachts where of a similar size on the waterline to the older pre-war boats they were driven by only half the sail area, giving the respective designers many factors to consider in their new designs. What they came up with are widely regarded as the most iconic and arguably the most beautiful class of yachts ever built.
The newly built Shamrock V quickly proved herself a great success winning her initial races which included some unofficial trial races against Cambria and Lulworth. Accordingly, when she left for America hopes were high that she could bring back the Cup.
To meet the 1930 challenge of Sir Thomas Lipton four new boats were built as potential defenders. All 4 new boats represented their designer’s different interpretations to the Universal rule.
Enterprise was the first and smallest of the new boats in the water and was quickly undergoing initial trials against the two older boats Cup boats of 1920, Resolute and Vanitie. Both the old boats had been raced throughout the 1920s and now were converted to race in the new J class though their light construction barred them from competing for the right to defend. Having the old boats to race against gave a good gauge as to the relative strengths and weaknesses of the new boats. During May Enterprise repeatedly defeated the older two boat by a good margin proving the advances made in design.
The four new Cup boats competed for the first time in a series of special races on Long Island Sound. Enterprise was joined first by Weetamoe and Whirlwind. Weetamoe designed by Clinton Crane was the narrowest and with a graceful sheer was considered the most beautiful of the new boats. Whirlwind designed by Francis Herreshoff the son of the famous Nat Herreshoff was the longest and most radicle of the new boats.
Yankee the widest of the new boats was designed by Frank Paine for a Boston syndicate joined the other cup boats on the last day of the special races on Long Island.
After the Long Island series, the boats moved to Newport competing in races organised by Eastern Yacht Club before the boats were paired of for the observation races in July.
Going into the New York Yacht Club NYYC Cruise in August Weetamoe was the front runner with Enterprise a close second. Both boats were proving very good light weather boats, the prevailing conditions at the time. Yankee was proving best in heavy weather while Whirlwind with all her innovations was proving difficult to control and too large for the prevailing light breezes. Throughout the season Enterprises syndicate leader and Captain Harold Vanderbilt were slowly refining his boat race by race making small improvements here and there including a new lightweight Duralumin mast and park avenue bending boom.
Going into the official trials the margin between the two favourites was very small. When Enterprise defeated Weetamoe in two straight races the first in light weather and the second in heavy weather she was selected to defend the Cup. In the second race Enterprise broke Columbia’s 1901 course record.
In the Cup races of that year Enterprise decisively beat Shamrock V by 4 races to 0.
Paintings of the 1930 America’s Cup
