endeavour yacht

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The J Class yacht Endeavour is for sale – a rare chance to buy one of the most iconic yachts ever built

• Toby Hodges
• February 3, 2016

The J Class Endeavour, Britain’s worthiest America’s Cup challenger to date and often described as the most beautiful J Class ever, is still on the market

Arguably there couldn’t be at a better time to buy one of the most prestigious yachts ever. In recent years the J Class has enjoyed a complete resurgence ( see our J Class guide here ). The result makes for mesmerising viewing, as these most elegant, timeless classics are raced by the world’s best and regularly finish within seconds of each other. It’s like one-design racing for museum pieces.

We had the chance to sail Endeavour in December 2016 – and get this EXCLUSIVE VIDEO FOOTAGE

The J-Class Endeavour powers to windward at the 2012 St Barths Bucket

We have only seen Endeavour race competitively once in the last decade. It was fresh after her 18-month refit at Yachting Developments in New Zealand, when she stole the show at the St Barths Bucket in 2012. This showed the potential of the yacht with famous sail number JK4 in the modern fleet of carbon-rigged Js. Since then however, little has been seen of Endeavour as her owner favoured private cruising.

The J Class wave shows no sign of slowing however. There are more Js competing now than ever before. The Hoek-reconfigured J Class Topaz (J8) launched from Holland Jachtbouw in spring 2015 and Svea followed two years later.

The J Class yacht Endeavour arguably remains the jewel of the fleet.  She is the yacht that has come closest to winning the America’s Cup for Britain. Her story reflects the history of the J Class and has helped shape the modern fleet we know today.

Endeavour was designed by C.E. Nicholson and built by Camper & Nicholsons in steel in 1934 for aircraft manufacturer Sir T.O.M Sopwith. She was the only J to beat the original Rainbow and considered the most dangerous British challenger to the cup ever. On launching, Endeavour was declared ‘the perfect boat’ by someone that really knew his shapes, Nat Herreshoff.

The J-Class Endeavour in 1934, racing King George V’s Brittania

Sopwith took a scientific approach using his aeronautical experience, and the innovations lavished on Endeavour included the likes of four-speed winches, the first windvane linked to a dial by the helm, and a four sided jib with two clews and sheets, dubbed a ‘quad’.

Following a crew strike over pay, Sopwith replaced the 13 pro sailors with amateurs shortly before leaving for the America’s Cup in the states. This, together with taking off more and more ballast during the series, was largely seen as his undoing.

The J-Class Endeavour after decades in a mudberth

Endeavour sat in her Solent mudberth for three decades following the war, in the hands of a variety of owners. She was once saved from scrap and even sank in the Medina River in the seventies.

Beken’s picture shows the state she reached, a wreck with no rig, keel or interior. But it was when Elizabeth Meyer bought her in 1984, that her resurgence, and in time, that of the J Class, really began. Meyer had Endeavour re-configured by Dykstra Naval Architects, shipped to Royal Huisman and fully restored, before cruising and racing her all around the world.

J-Class Endeavour’s interior today, styled by John Munford

Endeavour underwent an extensive refit again in 2010/11 at Yachting Developments in New Zealand.  Dykstra Naval Architects was responsible for the construction, sail plan and deck layout, and Jon Barret, who oversaw the yacht’s first refit as captain at Royal Huisman in 1989, project managed the refit.

The work involved the removal of 40T of material, including 14 deck winches. The remaining winches, hydraulics, electrics, engine and generators were all replaced over 100,000 man-hours. Endeavour left New Zealand with a new deck structure, new rig and sails, a new deck layout, an engine room upgrade and a new crew interior.

Her €17.5m asking price today is perhaps typical for a J Class. But to become a custodian of a cruise and race ready Endeavour, and at such an exciting time, would be priceless.

The transom of J-Class Endeavour following her Yachting Developments refit

There are more details and plenty of pictures on Edmiston’s site here

And more info on J Class here

Endeavour was commissioned by Sir T.O.M. Sopwith to challenge for the America’s Cup in 1934. Having prepared his campaign in Shamrock V, Sopwith was keen to ensure that this yacht was the most advanced design possible. With his experience designing aircraft Sopwith applied aviation technology to Endeavour’s rig and winches and spared nothing to make her the finest vessel of her day. From launching in 1934 she continued her preparation by competing against Shamrock V (then owned by Sir Richard Fairey) and the newly launched Velsheda (owned by W.L Stephenson).

She swept through the British racing fleet and into the hearts of yachtsmen the World around, winning many races in her first season. Like many before her, Endeavour did not win the Cup but she came closer to doing so than any other challenger.

Endeavour pioneered the development of the Quadrilateral genoa, a two clewed headsail offering immense sail area and power, and still used on J Class yachts racing today. She also had a larger and better designed spinnaker but Sopwith was let down by poor crewing. Just prior to departure for the  USA , his professional crew went on strike for more money and Sopwith was forced to round up keen amateur sailors, who had the enthusiasm but not the experience. Afterwards, she returned to England to dominate the British racing scene until 1938 when she was laid up prior to the war.

Over the next 46 years, Endeavour passed through many hands, her fate often hanging by a thread. Among other indignities, she was sold to a scrap merchant in 1947 only to be saved by another buyer hours before her demolition was due to begin. In the seventies, she sank in the Medina River in Cowes. Again at the eleventh hour, she was bought for ten pounds sterling by two carpenters who patched the holes in her hull with plastic bags and got her afloat again. In the early eighties, Endeavour sat at Calshot Spit, an abandoned seaplane base fronting the Solent. She was a complete wreck, a rusting and forlorn hulk with no keel, rudder, ballast or interior.

The Rebuild

In 1984 American yachtswoman Elizabeth Meyer bought Endeavour and undertook a five year rebuild. Since the hull was too fragile to be moved and was miles away from any boatyard, Meyer had a building constructed over the boat and hired welders to restore the hull. Endeavour’s missing keel and ballast were rebuilt, the steel frames and hull plating repaired and replaced where necessary, and a new rudder fabricated.

The newly seaworthy hull was launched and towed to Holland where it was put on a barge and transported to the Royal Huisman in Vollenhove. There she was transformed and rebuilt by Royal Huisman’s Huisfit division in 1989 into a modern masterpeice, with all new deck, rig, sailing gear and interior.

Endeavour sailed again, on June 22, 1989, for the first time in 52 years.

The incomparable Endeavour was the first of the J Class yachts to be restored to her old glory and thus will always claim a special place in the hearts of the shipyard workers and yachtsmen everywhere.

The latest refit was completed in 2011 at Yachting Developments, Hobsonville, Auckland NZ.

In May 2013, the refit work was recognised when JK4 Endeavour won the Refitted Sailing Yacht Award at the 2013 Superyacht Awards.

Information courtesy of the J-Class Association

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ENDEAVOUR yacht NOT for charter*

39m  /  127'11 | camper & nicholsons | 1934 / 2014.

Owner & Guests

Cabin Configuration

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Multi-award winning
• 1,900nm range
• Lloyds Register classification
• Sleeps 8 overnight

The multi-award winning 39m/127'11" sail yacht 'Endeavour' was built by Camper & Nicholsons in the United Kingdom at their Gosport shipyard. Her interior is styled by design house John Munford and she was completed in 1934. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Charles E. Nicholson and she was last refitted in 2014.

Guest Accommodation

Endeavour has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 8 guests in 4 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 8 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Range & Performance

Endeavour is built with a steel hull and wood superstructure, with teak decks. Endeavour comfortably cruises at 9 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 13 knots with a range of up to 1,900 nautical miles from her 7,150 litre fuel tanks at 8 knots. Her water tanks store around 4,140 Litres of fresh water. She was built to Lloyds Register classification society rules.

*Charter Endeavour Sail Yacht

Sail yacht Endeavour is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Endeavour Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Endeavour Photos

Endeavour Awards & Nominations

• International Superyacht Society Awards 2012 Best Refit Winner
• The World Superyacht Awards 2013 Best Refitted Yacht Winner

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

S/Y Endeavour

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Endeavour, JK4

Launched: 1934

Designer: Charles E Nicholson

Image Credit:

Jens Fischer

Image Credit: 

Endeavour was designed for the 1934 America’s Cup by Charles E Nicholson and built at Camper & Nicholson’s in Gosport for Sir Thomas Sopwith. Along with Shamrock, Endeavour is one of the two remaining J Class yachts which actually raced for the America’s Cup. Indeed she came closer to winning the Cup than any other Challenger. Against Harold S Vanderbilt’s Rainbow, Endeavour won the first two races and was considered to be the faster boat. With better tactics Rainbow then took wins in Races 3 and 4. Sopwith protested against one contentious manoeuvre but lost and Rainbow went on to win 4-2. At home, one headline read, “ Britannia rules the waves and America waives the rules ."

After the Cup she raced successfully in England but was partially wrecked in 1937 after breaking a tow. Since then she has had numerous owners, refits and repairs.

Endeavour was fully restored by Elizabeth L. Meyer over five years at Royal Huisman and this initiative, and her restoration of Shamrock, stimulated renewed interest in restoring and building replica J Class yachts.

Endeavour was relaunched on the 22nd June 1989 following a refit with Dykstra Naval Architects and sailed for the first time in 52 years. Meyer organised the first J Class racing that September when Endeavour raced Shamrock V in Newport RI.

She had a major refit in 2010/11 with modifications by Dykstra Naval Architects with a new sail plan and deck layout, the work carried out by Yachting Developments in Auckland, New Zealand. That refit included a new deck structure, new rig and sails, a new deck layout, an engine room upgrade and a new crew interior. Fresh from refit Endeavour proved she has performance potential, winning the 2012 Saint Barths Bucket against Shamrock V and Velsheda.

Length at waterline

displacement

upwind sail area

spinnaker sail area

1999 Antigua Classic Regatta

Competed against Velsheda and Shamrock V

‍ 2001, J Class Regatta, The Solent

Endeavour wins against Velsheda and Shamrock V ‍

2012 St Barths Bucket Regatta

Endeavour wins ‍

2013 Loro Piano Superyacht Regatta, BVI

Endeavour competes

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Motor Yacht

Endeavour is a custom motor yacht launched in 2014 by Westport, in the United States.

Since 1964 Westport has taken a long-term view of the future, and invested heavily in people, design, naval architecture, infrastructure, engineering and proven technologies to secure its position at the forefront of the superyacht industry.

Endeavour measures 39.62 metres in length, with a max draft of 1.96 feet and a beam of 7.92 feet.

Endeavour has a GRP hull with a GRP superstructure.

Endeavour also features naval architecture by William Garden.

Performance and Capabilities

Endeavour has a fuel capacity of 37,722 litres, and a water capacity of 6,534 litres.

Accommodation

Endeavour accommodates up to 10 guests in 5 cabins. She also houses room for up to 4 crew members.

Other Specifications

Endeavour flies the flag of the USA.

• Yacht Builder Westport View profile
• Naval Architect William Garden No profile available
• Exterior Designer Westport View profile
• Interior Designer Westport View profile

Yacht Specs

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Endeavour 37

She's comfortable and heavily built, but her performance leaves a lot to be desired..

Tampa Bay, in some respects, is the new Taiwan of American boatbuilding. Lost in the miles of nondescript tin warehouses, surrounded by chain link fences, where hundreds of virtually anonymous businesses come and go like the rain, it is easy to become disillusioned: My yacht was built here ?

Relic molds lie about the dirty industrial zones like whitewashed bones. Riggers become salesmen. Salesmen become builders. Builders never become businessmen, which is about the only difference between Taiwan and Tampa. An eager, low-paid workforce (read Cuban), favorable business climate (low taxes), and sunny weather (considered 50% of an employee’s compensation here) combine to make the environs of Florida’s largest west coast city a logical place to rent a shed, buy some used tooling, hire a couple of glass men and a carpenter (there’s a sort of floating labor pool in the Tampa area), and hang your shingle—I.M. Starstruck Yacht Co.

In the 1970s, Southern California—Costa Mesa more than any other city—was a major boatbuilding center. It was much the same as South Florida is today, until Orange County got tough on environmental emissions, and for the sake of a few parts per million of styrene fumes, essentially drove the boatbuilders out. Two early giants, Columbia Yachts and Jensen Marine (Cal boats) fled. Islander stuck it out until succumbing to bankruptcy just a few years ago.

Endeavour Yacht Corporation traces its lineage to those good ol’ days in Costa Mesa. Co-founder Rob Valdez began his career at Columbia, managed, incidentally, by brother Dick Valdez, who later founded Lancer Yachts. Rob followed Vince Lazzara to Florida to work for Gulfstar. The other co-founder, John Brooks, had worked for Charley Morgan and then Gulfstar and Irwin. “It’s so incestuous,” he once said, “it’s pathetic.”

In any case, Rob Valdez and John Brooks founded Endeavour in 1974 using the molds from Ted Irwin’s 32-footer to launch the business. The company built about 600 32s in all. Spurred by this success, Valdez and Brooks began looking around for a larger sistership to expand the line. Just how they “developed” the 37 is a tale best left untold until the principals pass away or become too senile to read the yachting periodicals. Brooks calls the 37 a “house design,” and that is generous. The total number of Endeavour 37s built is 476—a lot for a boat that size.

In 1986 Brooks sold the company to Coastal Financial Corporation of Denver, Colorado. Despite upgrading the pedigree of its model line with designs by Johan Valentijn, Endeavour’s position was plagued by declining sales and competition with its own products on the used boat market.

Brooks said, “When boats started to blister, I said, ‘God’s on our side! Maybe they’ll disappear and go away. Everything else becomes obsolete—your car, your clothes. We’re the only ones building a product that won’t go away!’ ”

The Endeavour 37 represents a decent value for the cruising family more interested in comfort and safety than breathtaking performance. Let’s take a closer look.

Sailing Performance

Most Endeavour 37s are sloop rigged, though the company did offer the ketch as an option—an extra $1,800 in 1977. The sloop is somewhat underpowered, so the ketch would appear to give the boat some much needed sail area. With either rig, it is not a fast boat, nor was it intended to be.

A bowsprit was added at one point to increase the foretriangle area and to facilitate handling ground tackle, though some photographs show the forestay still located at the stem despite the presence of an anchor platform, which was an earlier option. Also, a tall mast option was offered. Many readers complain of heavy weather helm in higher wind velocities, and moving the center of effort forward by means of enlarging the foretriangle would be one solution.

PHRF ratings range from a high of 198 for the standard rig in the Gulf of Mexico area, to 177 for a tall rig with bowsprit racing in Florida. PHRF ratings, of course, are adjusted according to local fleet performance, so variances between regions are to be expected. Most 37′ club racers rate 10 to 40 seconds per mile faster, and a high-performance boat such as the Elite 37 or J/37 will clean its clock by 80 seconds per mile and more. Make no mistake, the Endeavour is a cruising boat.

Some of the boat’s other troubles are presumably attributable to hull design, something most of us can do little about. The boat points no better, despite a fairly fine entry. One reader says he tacks through 115°, a number competitive only with schooners. Another notes excessive leeway.

Such performance may be expected from a boat with a long, shoal-draft keel, though it is cut away at the forefoot and terminates well forward of the spade rudder. Many owners report satisfactory balance as long as they pay attention to trim, reefing, and sail combinations. And it deserves mentioning that the Endeavour 37 has been happily employed as a charter boat by several companies, including Bahamas Yachting Services, which moves its fleet between the Bahamas and the Virgin Islands each season. It has and can make safe ocean passages.

The standard engine was the freshwater-cooled, 50-hp Perkins 4-108 with 2.5 to 1 reduction gear, a real workhorse that is something of a stick against which all others are measured. It rated tops among mechanics in Practical Sailor ’s 1989 diesel engine survey. The company began phasing it out that year in favor of a new line. The Perkins 4-108 is a good engine for this boat, adequately sized for the waterline and displacement.

Access to the engine compartment is reasonable; the companionway steps are removable and there are sound insulating materials glued to the inside of the box.

Fuel capacity is about 65 gallons in a baffled tank.

A two-blade, bronze propeller was standard, though many respondents in our owner’s survey stated they had switched to a three-blade to improve control backing down. This, of course, is a problem with many boats. A three-blade, automatically feathering prop would improve performance under power and minimize drag under sail. It seems a shame to further destroy the performance of this boat by turning a three-blade, fixed prop, just for control in reverse; at that point one must ask himself just how much time he intends to spend going backwards.

Construction

The Endeavour 37 is a good example of low-tech construction—nothing fancy—no exotic fibers, core materials or unusual tooling. The hull is a singleskin, solid fiberglass laminate. No owners reported structural problems with oilcanning panels or moving bulkheads. Numerous owners, however, complained of gelcoat crazing, a condition also cited of the Endeavour 32. Gelcoat repair kits seldom match old and faded gelcoat colors, so owners are faced with an expensive re-gelcoat job or painting with an epoxy or polyurethane paint system. Since most older fiberglass boats inevitably suffer gelcoat crazing in areas of stress or impact (a dropped winch handle will do it), we’d be more concerned with the condition of gelcoat below the waterline. The results of Practical Sailor ’s 1989 Boat Owner’s Questionnaire showed 8 of 19 Endeavours had blistered; 42% is high.

The interior is built up of plywood with teak trim. Workmanship is generally good. In fact, one owner who said his hobby is woodworking, said, “The trim joints are excellent.” In general, owners liked the boat because it feels solid, “built like a tank.”

Problem areas included gate valves on throughhulls, which some owners have correctly replaced with sea cocks; side-loading refrigerators on some boats that were replaced with top-loading ice boxes; pumping of the Isomat spar; inaccessible electrical wiring; V-berths too short for people over 6′; listing due to water and holding tank placement; and plastic Vetus hatches crazing and dripping. Ventilation seems to be a concern of many owners, though with 10 opening portlights and three hatches, there’s not much more to be done except add cabin fans and rig wind scoops.

An Endeavour trademark is the teak parquet cabin sole, which makes you feel like you’re dribbling down center court at the Boston Garden. Some like it, some don’t, but at least it’s different.

The keel is part of the hull mold, with internal lead ballast dropped in and glassed over. There are no keel bolts to worry about, but in the event of a grounding one should look to see if the skin has been punctured and water entered the cavity. The laminate must be thoroughly dried before repairs are made, and this can mean a fairly long waiting period. The shape of the keel is what is sometimes called a “cruising fin,” shallow and long with a straight run. The boat should take the bottom well, whether it is an accidental grounding or intentional careening for bottom work on some distant island.

Two arrangement plans were offered—“A” and “B.” The first is a bit unusual in that the forward V-berths are dispensed with in favor of an enormous Ushaped dinette; owners of this plan like it. In its lowered position, the table converts to a huge, sumptuous double berth.

And there is a handy shelf forward for books, television and knick-knacks. The hull sides are decorated with thin teak slats that are widely spaced and fastened flat against the liner. This plan has a large forepeak, divided into two compartments, one for chain and the after one for sails, accessible from the deck.

The galley is a sideboard affair located to starboard and the head is opposite to port, just about midships. Hot and cold pressure water and a shower are standard equipment. The sink is porcelain and there is a full-length mirror. Plumbing has copper tubing and there is an automatic shower sump pump. Aft in Plan “A” are two large double quarter berths.

Plan “B” is the more conventional, with V-berths forward (no sail stowage in the forepeak), the toilet compartment just abaft the head of the bunk, settees in the saloon with an offset dropleaf table, pilot berth outboard above the starboard settee, aft galley and a port quarter cabin.

There is a privacy door to this stateroom (not shown in the layout illustration), which is no doubt what the public demands; however, some owners complain that it is stuffy and cramped. That, of course, is what you get with a small, enclosed cabin aft in the boat; despite overhead hatches, vents, and portlight opening into the cockpit footwell, ventilation is bound to suffer.

There seem to be pros and cons to both plans. “A” is certainly more open, which will suit a couple with few overnight guests. Ventilation is better as air coming in through the forward deck hatch freely circulates in the main cabin; the main bulkhead in “B,” as in most boats with this type of layout, obstructs air flow, and nowhere is this problem more acute than in the tropics, where every breath of ocean breeze feels like the difference between life and death.

Both plans offer sleeping accommodations for at least six, including decent sea berths. Plan “B” has a pilot berth that ups the count to seven, but most owners of this layout had converted it to stowage space.

The deep, double sinks in both “A” and “B” are reasonably close to the centerline of the boat, and should drain on either tack.

In the late 70s, a three-burner alcohol stove and oven was standard. On the boat we chartered for a week in the Bahama Islands, the stove was LPG and there was a nifty tank locker in the cockpit coaming, well hidden yet easily accessed. The garbage container and insulated beverage container in the cockpit are nice features.

Both plans also have chart tables, which of course is appreciated. The longer you study the arrangement plans, the more you realize just how much has been fitted into the available space. If any corners have been cut to make this happen it’s probably the length of some berths, which a few owners criticized (presumably the endomorphs and Ichabod Cranes among us).

A high percentage of the owners surveyed are liveaboards and almost without exception they consider the boat ideal for their purposes. And it’s not difficult to see why. During our week of chartering, there was plenty of space for two couples to move about without knocking elbows at every turn.

The aft cabin is, however, cramped, and getting into the high berth would be easier with a step; one is leery of jumping in, especially given the low overheads of boats. Also, one has to get his bottom on the berth first, then swivel around to get the feet aimed in the right direction. If your mate is already in bed, this can be a maneuver almost impossible to perform politely! The V-berths are preferred for ventilation and ease of getting in and out.

The Endeavour 37 is easily appreciated on deck. The side decks are wide and uncluttered. The foredeck, though narrow at the bow, is adequate for sail handling, and the high cockpit coaming makes for a good backrest and a sense of protection. The toerail rises forward so that there is a sort of mini-bulwark for security when changing sails or handling ground tackle.

In profile, the coaming seems too high, especially on top of the high freeboard; one owner said he’d have liked to see an Endeavour 37 without this great, wraparound coaming.

From the helm it’s a different story. The varnished cap board on the coaming defines the attractive curve, and does impart a feeling of safety and well being.

Coamings such as this, which extend over the sea hood (a good safety feature), make installation of a waterproof dodger much easier, though the dodger will be large and extend athwartship nearly the full beam of the boat at that station.

The large size of the cockpit is worth noting. In fact, it probably borders on being too large for offshore sailing. A pooping may temporarily affect handling, but given the considerable volume of the hull, the presence of a good bridgedeck, and assuming that weather boards are in place, water shouldn’t get below or unduly sink the stern. Still, it is a boat we’d like to see with large diameter scuppers for safety’s sake. One owner said he thought it was possible to run two large scupper hoses aft through the transom, which is a sensible idea. Another said the cockpit was too wide and that it was difficult to brace his feet when heeled.

The Endeavour 37 is a Florida boat. Windward sailing performance was purposely sacrificed for shoal draft, which is a requirement of cruising the Florida Keys and Bahama Islands. The cockpit is large and the deck area spacious.

Either you like the Endeavour 37’s distinctive cockpit coaming or you don’t; we found the cabintop area just abaft the coaming useful for stowing suntan lotion, hats and the usual cockpit clutter; in calm conditions, it even makes a fairly decent, elevated seat when you want to pontificate to the rest of the crew.

Sailing performance is marginal, especially upwind. The rig, however, is very simple and will seldom get the beginner in trouble, which explains the boat’s appeal to charter companies. A light, nylon multi-purpose sail will be essential to light air performance, but it is probable that many owners turn on the engine when the wind drops below about 10 knots, and when going to windward to get that extra few degrees.

Our most serious concerns with the boat are, unfortunately, those that are uncorrectable. You can replace the gate valves with sea cocks, rewire the electrical system, even install flexible water and holding tanks to correct minor listing tendencies, but there’s nothing practical that can be done about poor hull design.

One reader suggested fitting a hollow keel shoe to improve the boat’s windward performance…hollow, he said, because the boat is heavy enough as it is. The boat also appears not to balance well, and though this tendency can be mitigated to some extent by mast rake and sail trim, it may well extend to the shape of the ends of the hull’s waterline plane when heeled.

In all fairness, however, the Endeavour 37 is heavily built, reasonably well finished, comfortable to cruise and live aboard, and it sells for an attractive price.

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Endeavour II: Inside Rossinavi's 50m Globetrotter

A yacht that both looks elegant and can really go the distance? Rossinavi’s globe-trotting Endeavour II lets its owner get away… and stay away

Exceptional cruising plans require exceptional yachts. This must have been what Endeavour II ’s owners were thinking when they asked Rossinavi to build them something more than a typical superyacht to holiday on. Their brief was for a truly ocean-going boat that could be used year round but that would look modern and clean-lined instead of sturdy and workaday. In other words, an expedition yacht in disguise.

Experienced sailors looking to reward themselves for a lifetime of work, Endeavour II ’s owners planned to spend months at a time on board, exploring lesser known oceans while retracing Magellan’s circumnavigation and Captain Cook’s expeditions.

“We were approached by  Endeavour II ’s owner after he had seen and loved our 70 metre yacht  Numptia ,” says Rossinavi’s COO Federico Rossi, the second generation of his family to work in shipbuilding. “He wanted to take long cruises to unusual destinations that are difficult to reach, but was looking for an expedition yacht more than an explorer. We called in a team we knew we could count on: Enrico Gobbi and his Team For Design studio for the exterior and Achille Salvagni  for the yacht’s interiors. Enrico has already designed eight yachts for us and this is our third collaboration with Achille; we knew we were in good hands.”

“When we were called in for  Endeavour II  we already had the 50 metre concept engineered,” says Gobbi. “It took a lot of hard work in close collaboration with Arrabito Naval Architects, but thanks principally to a superstructure that is slimmer than the hull, we kept the yacht under 500GT. Another challenge well met was in designing for optimised hydrodynamics, unrestricted ocean service classification and for the larger fuel tanks and storage needed for autonomous navigation.”

Elsewhere, touches indicate that she is far more than a milk runner, like the synthetic teak decks that can take far more punishment than genuine teak, and the compactors and refrigerator for storing organic waste for those long periods between ports.  Endeavour II ’s diesel-electric propulsion system, meanwhile, helps reduce fuel consumption.

“The hull had already been designed for the Rolls-Royce marine pods and diesel-electric propulsion and this, for owners who wanted a silent, vibration-free and fuel efficient yacht for long distance navigation, was very important,” continues Gobbi. “With 5,000 nautical miles of autonomy at 12 knots,  Endeavour II  is very efficient, has a much longer range and is even faster than a displacement yacht: we have hit speeds of over 17 knots.”

While  Endeavour II  doesn’t have a pool or spa pool, she does have a generously sized opening transom for easy water access and a full range of toys, including custom amphibious and  limo tenders  and a 15 tonne crane that are stored under flush foredeck hatches that open like wings. “The clients liked the idea of the storage wells and the crane because they left plenty of room for the storage tanks they needed,” says Gobbi. “But what I think they liked most of all is the exterior’s simple style and the light and views that come in through the large windows. And, of course, the opening side terrace in the owner’s suite.”

Achille Salvagni, who designed  Endeavour II ’s interiors, found them an unusual challenge. “Working with the spaces that this hull offered was almost like designing for a sailing yacht,” he says. “That’s how sleek and fluid  Endeavour II ’s lines are. But these owners were happy to have less volume and more elegance; it’s more in keeping with their style.”

The owners asked to meet Salvagni after they had seen his interiors aboard  Numptia . “I am from Rome, so I invited them down. It was springtime, and while we enjoyed lunch on a terrace overlooking the city we talked about the look they wanted for their yacht. I share their love for contemporary minimalist art and they have a special passion for Japan. We were on the same wavelength from the start.”

Japan and contemporary art were going to be the yacht’s themes, but Salvagni wanted to keep it subtle. “I wanted to evoke an atmosphere of Japan that could be perceived as a whole but not pinned to specific objects. So no to gurgling tsukubai fountains, but yes to certain colours and materials that speak of Japan.”

Salvagni’s interiors contrast with the “boy toy” aesthetic you might expect boarding an expedition yacht and it’s the surprise effect that makes  Endeavour II  so memorable. Entering the main saloon is like walking into the cool serenity of a winter sunset: pale blues and greys grounded by black, subtle pinks spiked by lacquer red, round soft shapes like snowdrifts accented by burnished gold. Everything is pleasing, even soothing, to the eye, and everything calls out to be touched. Starting from the floor covering springing softly under foot: could that be tatami, Japanese straw mats?

“Yes, it’s tatami that I sourced in Osaka,” says Salvagni, “and while using this material on a yacht posed some challenges, I think it has been a big success. The contrast of the tatami mats and the burnished bronze frames they are in reads like the yacht’s samurai backbone. I picked up the colour of the tatami in the koto wood walls and carried it over to the ceilings that are in slightly lighter toned Egyptian cotton. I wanted the serenity and the sense of comfort that come from unity and both the tatami and the cotton ceilings are backed with felt that gives them the added advantage of being very phono-absorbent.”

Salvagni was inspired by origami for the lines of  Endeavour II ’s curved walls and by Japanese gardens for the wooden poles veneered in brushed and waxed koto wood that mimics bamboo. “I am an architect, not a decorator, and I think that’s why the interiors I design stand out. I want to sculpt the space I’m working with and give it character, dignity and strength. It’s not a question of pretty things placed here and there; the materials and the lines I work with have to have tension. I don’t want corners because they break the line; I want curves that join and flow.”

While the ottomans, sofas and armchairs in the saloon are custom pieces designed by Salvagni for the yacht, the 12 chairs around the dining table speak of a past history and an interesting one at that. “I don’t use production pieces in my interiors because I’m not filling up a furniture showroom: every interior I design is exclusive and unique, custom made to fit the owners’ taste. That’s why I only use my own designs or pieces by great architects from the past that I source from other collectors or at auctions. The art deco dining chairs are by the French designer Paul Dupré-Lafon and the mid-century floor lamps are by Stilnovo.

Endeavour II ’s full beam owner’s suite is located forward of the saloon on the main deck and is exceptionally light thanks to long windows and an opening side balcony. Here Salvagni calls voyaging to mind with buckled leather straps on an upholstered bench and storage units that recall saddlebags. There is an armchair by the icon of Italian design, Gio Ponti . “I found three chairs that Ponti designed for a cruise ship,” says Salvagni. “The one in the owners’ cabin is upholstered in white linen and there are two more in tobacco-coloured leather in the sky lounge. Ponti designed them with a low centre of gravity so that you’d feel the ship’s roll less than you would on higher seating. It’s an important lesson and explains why you won’t find high bar stools in the interior.”

Further guest accommodation and the crew area are on the lower deck and are reached via a stairwell that glows in a soft golden tone. “Another fixation of mine is for patina, for surfaces that have depth,” continues Salvagni. “The nickel silver walls in the stairwell are the end result of a long search for a metal that is lightweight and resistant, but can be treated to give it a warm, soft patina. I love the way it catches the light and reflects darkly, like an antique mirror.”

Endeavour II  has two twin cabins and a full beam VIP suite that can become two double cabins by closing sliding shōji-style doors made from the same roughly woven cotton fabric sandwiched between glass that is used to create screen-like doors for the yacht’s en-suite bathrooms.

While  Endeavour II  proves that an expedition yacht can be defined more by her function than by her aesthetics, she has everything that you would expect from a yacht built for long range, efficient cruising. She runs on two Caterpillar C32 Acert engines driving twin diesel-electric Rolls-Royce azimuthing pods, a power plant that gives her a range of 5,000 nautical miles at 12 knots.

So what’s stopping her stretching those sea legs and seeing the world? Her owner’s plans changed and she’s now up for sale , asking €29.5 million. A snip, surely, for any ocean-adventuring Japanophiles out there who want to round Cape Horn in style.

This article was originally published in the May 2018 edition of Boat International.

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