America's Cup, 1930: Enterprise leading Shamrock V on the windward leg

Shamrock (V) was the last of Sir Thomas Lipton's five "Shamrocks", each of which had been created in the hope of winning back the America's Cup or, as he habitually referred to it, "the Auld Mug". Lipton's final Shamrock was designed by Charles Nicholson and built for him by Camper & Nicholson at Gosport in 1930, her appearance at Cowes that same year marking her racing debut prior to challenging for the America's Cup in September. Registered at 103= tons gross (163 Thames) and measuring 120 feet in length with a 19= foot beam, she carried 7,540 square feet of sail and seemed more than worthy of the American defender Enterprise right up until the cup matches began on 13th September. In the event, Enterprise won the series convincingly and Lipton died the following year with his most fervent ambition unfulfilled. After Lipton's death, Shamrock (V) was sold to Mr. T.O.M. [later Sir Tommy] Sopwith, another America's Cup hopeful, and continued racing up until the Second World War began in 1939. Somehow managing to survive until the present day, she is now one of the only three remaining J-Class boats, each of which has been splendidly restored and still able to thrill the crowds on the rare occasions when they are, once again, able to compete against each other.