Defender Painted Medium 24 Inches Long - The 1895 America's Cup Champion The Defender, launched in 1895, was built to defend the America’s Cup against the British challenger Valkyrie III. Designed by Nathanael Herreshoff, it was a revolutionary yacht featuring an aluminum and bronze hull, making it one of the most advanced racing yachts of its time. Defender successfully won the cup, further solidifying the dominance of American yacht design. This model is meticulously handcrafted from cedar wood, mahogany, teak, and various other exotic woods. Each model is 100% handmade, built using the plank-on-frame construction method—similar to actual shipbuilding. Craftsmen spend hundreds of hours ensuring precision and historical accuracy. Features: - Hull Design: The Defender features a sleek, deep blue hull with a white upper section, perfectly replicating the yacht’s elegant and hydrodynamic form. The smooth, curved shape ensures an authentic representation of its racing pedigree. - Masts & Rigging: The single towering mast, finished in rich mahogany tones, supports hand-tied rigging and detailed spars. The large, hand-stitched linen sails capture the spirit of 19th-century racing yachts. - Deck Accessories: The deck is crafted with wooden planks and includes multiple handcrafted hatches, winches, cleats, and a carefully detailed helm, all enhancing the model’s historical accuracy. The bowsprit extends forward, adding to its classic racing aesthetic. - Display Stand: This model comes assembled and is mounted on a solid wooden base with a brass nameplate, making it a standout piece for any home, office, or yacht club. Note: Model arrives with the mast and sails folded down for easy shipping; all riggings are done, just need to raise the mast up and make some adjustments to straighten out the sails, assembly in minutes. Please take a look at the assembly youtube video here . Embrace the little challenge of bringing your model to life, just as sailors prepared their vessels for the open sea. This museum-quality model is a must-have for classic yacht enthusiasts, America's Cup historians, and collectors of legendary sailing vessels. Own a piece of sailing history with the Defender today!
History
The Defender is an iconic American yacht, best known for its role in defending the America's Cup in 1895. The yacht was designed by Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in Bristol, Rhode Island, and became a symbol of naval engineering excellence at the time. Defender was built as part of a strategic effort to defend the America's Cup title for the United States, following the country's success in the 1893 races. The Defender was designed to compete against the British challenger Valkyrie II, and its design was a reflection of cutting-edge technology and materials available at the time. The yacht’s hull was sleek, with a long, narrow shape, enabling it to sail faster and handle better than many of its competitors. It featured a gaff-rigged sail plan, a common design for racing yachts of the era. During the 1895 America Cup, the Defender successfully defended the title against Valkyrie II in a series of matches off the coast of New York. The yacht's success was a testament to the prowess of American shipbuilders and marked another victory in a series of U.S. wins in the America Cup. After its success, the Defender went down in history as one of the great yachts of its time, admired for its design and role in securing American dominance in the America's Cup races. Today, it remains a part of the rich heritage of the America's Cup and the evolution of yacht racing.
