SOPWITH
YACHTING
A LEGACY BUILT
FOR THE OCEAN
A passion for innovation, a spirit of adventure and a relentless pursuit of excellence. On the water, as in the air, the Sopwith name stands for performance, precision and British engineering at its finest.
SIR THOMAS SOPWITH
1888 – 1989
AVIATOR. YACHTSMAN. VISIONARY.
Sir Thomas Sopwith’s love of innovation and competition extended from the skies to the seas. In 1934 he commissioned Endeavour, a J-Class yacht designed for speed, precision and victory. Built with the same engineering excellence that defined his aircraft, Endeavour became one of the most formidable yachts of her era.
ENDEAVOUR
Launched in 1934, Endeavour was a J-Class yacht built for Sir Thomas Sopwith’s challenge for the America’s Cup.
AMERICA’S CUP 1934
Endeavour challenged Rainbow. Sopwith won the first two races in a dramatic series captivating audiences.
BUILT TO WIN
Designed by Nicholson, Endeavour combined advanced technology and engineering with British craftsmanship.
LEGEND TODAY
Endeavour survives today as one of only two original J-Class yachts that raced for the America’s Cup.
1934 – THE AMERICA’S CUP
Racing against the American defender Rainbow off Newport, Rhode Island, Endeavour won the first two races in spectacular fashion. Despite her early lead, Rainbow fought back to take the series by four races to two. Endeavour’s performance remains one of the greatest in British America’s Cup history.
1933
Sopwith’s America’s Cup challenge takes shape.
1934
Endeavour is launched.
1933
Wins the first two America’s Cup races.
1989
Endeavour sails again after 52 years.
TODAY
Endeavour continues to inspire a new generation.
1937
Sopwith returns with Endeavour II for a new challenge.
2010–2011
Major refit in Auckland, New Zealand.
1984–1989
Elizabeth Meyer undertakes an extraordinary restoration.
BUILT ON INNOVATION. DRIVEN BY COMPETITION.
THE SOPWITH LEGACY – FROM THE SKIES TO THE SEA.
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