The yacht America was designed for the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club, and built in 1851 to take on Britain's formidable Royal Yacht Squadron. It is a pure pilot schooner of its day, with a single large headsail and only a modest main topsail. As can be seen on the model, the masts were extremely raked, and the bowsprit was relatively small for the boat’s size (only a mere 17 feet outboard). The vessel measured 95 feet on deck, 23 feet at the beam, with a draught of 11 feet. Its displacement was 180 tons and the rig comprised 5,263 square feet of sail. She possessed exceptional windward abilities relative to other vessels of her time and the result was a shock to the country that had thought of itself as 'sovereign of the seas'.

Upon reaching Cowes on her first transatlantic voyage, Commodore Stevens entered the race around the Isle of Wight on 22 August 1851. The event was attended by Queen Victoria. When the 'America' crossed the finishing line, her 20-minute lead was so great that the Queen asked for the name of the vessel in second place. She received the reply, 'Your Majesty, there is no second'. From then on, the 100-guinea trophy that Stevens won has been known as 'The America's Cup', the world's most prestigious yachting prize.

• 100% hand built from scratch using “plank on frame” method
• Hundreds of hours is required to finish a model at museum-quality level such as HMS Victory or USS Constitution. Click here to see the process.
• We use the highest quality woods like rose wood, ebony, black wood, mahogany, teak… All the wood is naturally seasoned and kiln dry before use to make sure that the completed products withstand any climate.
• Completed models contain thousands of details created by our skillful master craftsmen.
• Made of finest wood like Rosewood, Mahogany, Teak and other exotic tropical wood.
• Chrome and brass fittings and ornaments constitute the excellence of our models.
• Extensive research through original plans and pictures make our models authentic.
• Each model goes through a demanding quality control process before leaving the workshop
• The perfect gift for home or office decorator, boat enthusiast or passionate collector.

Assembly of the sails only is required. Due to the fact that these models are made by hand some of the deck pieces will vary

America Schooner 1851 Model Ship - Old Modern Handicrafts 33" L x 5.5" W x 28" H Part # Y001 The schooner America was built in William Brown's shipyard in 1851. It was designed by George Steers. America is still the most important and famous name in the history of the world yachting. 60L x 13W x 68H(cm)