The tea magnate Sir Thomas Lipton built himself a series of yachts, all named Shamrock and each an improvement on its predecessor. Shamrock I, a cutter displacing 135 tons, was designed by the great William Fife Jnr. and built by Thorneycroft's of Millwall in 1899. Launched on 24 June, Lipton used her to mount his first challenge for the America's Cup but, outclassed by the defending Columbia, Shamrock I returned without the coveted prize. Lipton however remained undeterred and to make four more unsuccessful challenges with the four other Shamrocks as the years went by. In fact Lipton used Shamrock I to pace Shamrock II when the latter was running her trials and Fife himself always maintained that his first creation was the faster of the two.

Westward too had several owners whereas King George V, like his father before him, remained loyal to Britannia for all his racing life. See lot 231 for further details of both Britannia and Westward.