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December 5, 2022

A brief history of the famous “12 metre” class yachts.

The 12 Metre Class is a gorgeous showpiece on the regatta courses, both an ultimate cruising machine and an inshore prestige sled. Like capricious horses, the “12 Metres” have concise, beautifully short names. They are called “Anita”, “Anitra”, “ Cintra “, “Evaine”, “Flica”, “Heti”, “Sphinx”, “Thea”, “ Trivia “, “Vanity” or “Vim”. They are elegant, slender, and about 20 meters long. With their 30 tons of combat weight, they are true regatta warhorses. One should have sailing skills in order to compete with these bolides in fresh winds on the regatta course. Today, as the progressive sailing scene takes to the skies, kiting, surfing, and low-drag hydrofoiling across the water with ultra-light, high-tech bullets, the lead-heavy long keels seem more old-fashioned than ever. About a hundred of the 170 built still exist, see a list here . The most beautiful 12 Metres, the scene agrees, are the classic long-keeled ships of the thirties. But there are also lovers of modern designs, who is enthusiastic about Philippe Briand’s 1985 design “ French Kiss ” and sail it in the Mediterranean.

Historic Yachts

There is even a shipyard specializing in 12 Metres classes. At Robbe & Berking Classics, a completely new 12-Metre will soon be completed according to plans by Johan Anker from 1939, known as No. 434 . The Flensburg shipyard also has the Australian “ Gretel ” from 1962 and the recently restored English “ Jenetta ” from 1939.

Fascination 12mR

There are three reasons for the fascination for a „12 Metre” or “12mR”: a historical one, an aesthetic one and, most importantly, the sailing one. The nimbus derives from its function as a former America’s Cup class. Sailing history was written with the „12 metre” from 1958 off Newport to 1987 off Fremantle, Australia. The best yacht designers, boat and mast builders, hardware manufacturers, sailmakers, savvy sailors and shrewd tacticians competed in the class back then.

Elegant Beauties

The boats, especially the long-keeled examples of the thirties are elegant. You can look at them for a long time, from the massive stem to the stern that is lifted apart from the water.

And they are true thoroughbreds. It is an addictive pleasure to sail them. There is no other type of boat that takes to the wind with comparable frenzy and is similarly unyielding through the water. With nearly 30 tons and about 15 tons of lead under the bottom cheeks, the twelve-footer has a lot of power. Hardly any other class is built closer to the water and offers

But let’s tell the story from the beginning

America’s Cup contenders between 1958 and 1987 – the 12 Metre Class

Following a twenty-one-year hiatus, the America’s Cup resumed in 1958 with a new class of boats, the 12-Metre Class. Smaller in size, easier to crew, and more manageable on a race course, these 60 to 70-foot sloops were an improvement over the previous 135-foot America’s Cup racing class, the “J” boats. Like the “J” boats, the “12 Metre” class was designed according to a formula. In other words, “12 Metre” Class yachts can have a wide range of sail area, length, and speed production aspects. All “12 Metre” yachts are measured using the following mathematical formula:

This formula inputs the speed-producing factors: (length (L), sail area (Sa), freeboard (F), and girth measurement (2D). Yachts that meet this formula must not exceed 12 metres in length. Other restrictions on the design measurements of “12-Metre” racing yachts are in place to prevent one design from being vastly superior to another and to ensure a fair and competitive racing environment. In order to ensure that “12 metre” racing yachts do not differ too much, maximum and minimum mast heights, drafts, beams, and headsails are used.

International Rules

“12 Metre” yachts are probably the most fascinating racing yachts ever built. With their beauty and size, along with their America’s Cup history, they have attracted and intrigued yachtsmen since they were first launched. Powered by their massive sail areas, these 30 tons racing beauties reach speeds as high as twelve knots. They have main sails that are approximately 1200 square feet in size and jibs that range from 500 square feet to over 1200 square feet in size, with a height that cannot exceed 75 percent of the mast. Until 1958, “12 Metre” yachts were not raced in the America’s Cup. Nevertheless, the six, eight, and twelve metre rules date back over five decades. The International Rules for metre class boats were developed in 1906 by William Froude and the Royal Yachting Association in England. The “12 Metre” boats had significant racing success prior to their America’s Cup debut and were used in the 1908, 1912, and 1920 Olympic games.

The America’s Cup, the oldest Trophy

American yachtsmen first took up the 12 Metre Class in 1928 when they ordered six nearly identical boats from Starling Burgess, the renowned boat designer. It was in 1939 that American 12 Metre racing was elevated to a new level when Harold Vanderbilt, an accomplished America’s Cup sailor, “J” boat skipper, and the winner of the 1930, 1934, and 1937 America’s Cup, brought his new 12 Metre, the “Vim” (12 Metre US-15), to England for a race against the Royal Yacht Squadron. The Royal Yacht Squadron was in awe of “Vim” after she won 21 of 27 races against British 12 Metres while in England. From 1958 until 1958, “Vim” remained the standard by which all other 12 Metre yachts were measured until “Columbia” (12 Metre US-16) defeated her in the tie-breaking race of the America’s Cup defense trials by only 12 seconds. It would be the design standard for America’s Cup racing yachts until 1987, when it was retired.

The Auld Mug

“12 metres” were designed with one thing in mind – to win America’s Cup races. The design of their products reflects this in every aspect. America’s Cup twelves didn’t have room for an engine, anything below decks, or even a toilet when they were campaigning. The deck layouts of America’s Cup twelves are set up for optimal sail performance as well as for speed. When racing, the sails are the engine of the boat, so trimming them correctly and quickly was crucial to winning. America’s Cup “12 Metre” crews were also trained for efficiency. When it was their turn to compete in the famous America’s Cup, they had intensive training and practice to be flawless at sail handling and the best yacht racers in the world.

Despite their demise, America’s Cup “12 Metre” boats remain one of the most prestigious racing classes in the America’s Cup history. Many twelves have gone on to have successful ocean racing careers after their America’s Cup adventures. The largest fleet of “12 metre” boats in the world resides in Newport, Rhode Island, where over 50 years of America’s Cup racing have taken place.

During the summer months of August and October, many of these classic racers attend numerous sailing events on the French Riviera . Noblesse Yachts is the only company that offers sailing opportunities as well as yacht charters.

Come sail with us on a piece of America’s Cup racing history on these sleek racing beauties!

Available Dates are: 07.09. – 10.09.23: Vele d’Epoca di Imperia ( See Video here ) 13.09. – 16.09.23: Monaco Classic Week ( See Video here ) 19.09. – 25.09.23: Les Regates Royales de Cannes ( See Video here ) 24.09. – 08.10.23: Les Voiles de Saint Tropez ( See Video here )

Note about copyright: This text is copyrighted by us and you may copy and use it only with a link to our website along with a clear indication of our authorship. Thank you!

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Reminiscing “Freedom”: a 12 Metre Classic

• By Herb McCormick
• January 2, 2024

Forty years ago this past September, in the waters of Rhode Island Sound just off the coastal city of Newport, a crew of Aussies shocked the sailing world. The 12 Metre Australia II defeated the American boat Liberty to win the 1983 America’s Cup and bring the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year defense of the Auld Mug to a conclusion. It’s safe to say the Cup, and my hometown of Newport, have never been the same.

I spent a lot of time on the sound that summer taking in the action, so when I signed up to volunteer on a marshal boat for the latest edition of the 12 Metre World Championship regatta in August, I found myself on the very same waters, which turned into a pretty nostalgic voyage down a nautical memory lane. But the graceful Twelve I couldn’t take my eyes off wasn’t the winner of the Modern Division, Challenge XII , or even the victor of the Traditional/Vintage Division, Columbia . Nope, I was more or less transfixed on the runner-up to Challenge XII , a striking-blue yacht called Freedom . Of all the entries in the 10-boat fleet, to me, Freedom was easily the most historic and memorable.

Three years before the Australians absconded with the Cup, in 1980, with the estimable Dennis Conner in command, Freedom won the contest in dominant fashion, and it seemed like the New York Yacht Club’s winning streak would go on forever. It was designed by the legendary naval architecture firm Sparkman & Stephens, which had drawn the lines of every Cup winner but one since 1936. Conner was back on the helm in the losing effort in ’83, but he would find redemption, winning the Cup back for the United States in Western Australia in 1987. But for S&S, Freedom marked the end of an illustrious era. The firm would never again create a Cup winner.

For the 12 Metre Worlds, ironically enough, the navigator aboard Freedom was a lanky old Aussie mate of mine called Grant Simmer, who’d served in the same capacity aboard Australia II for his country’s winning effort way back when. With the exception of the gray hair, he looked exactly the same.

This time, however, Simmer couldn’t work his magic. Unlike the America’s Cup, where boats compete in one-on-one match racing, the World Championship event is fleet racing, with everyone out on the track at the same time. It’s a different game. And Challenge XII had a ringer of its own: the president of North Sails, Ken Read, also a longtime America’s Cup veteran. As far as I was concerned, Freedom was easily the prettiest of all the Modern yachts. When push came to shove, though, it was no longer the fastest.

Today’s America’s Cup competition, conducted on closed-course race tracks in skittish foiling catamarans—about as far removed as possible from a stately 12 Metre racing in the open ocean—bears little resemblance to what the event looked like in the early 1980s. And Newport has undergone a radical makeover as well. The shipyards where the Cup boats used to reside between races have been replaced by condos and hotels, and the only real remaining trace of the America’s Cup is the boulevard of the same name. It’s a reminder that the only true constant in life is change.

But for a few afternoons last August, I could shut my eyes for a moment of reminiscence and open them up to see what I can only describe as a fleeting image of a bygone time. Freedom may be a footnote in the history of yacht racing, but the big, beautiful blue boat still looks powerful and fantastic all the same.

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12 Metre Worlds

Official website of the International Twelve Metre Class World Championships

NOW POSTED: 2024 12mR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NOTICE OF RACE

Editors’ Note: To receive the 12 Metre Worlds blog, sign up here: https://12mRworlds.com

CONTACTS: Bernard Minvielle , ITMA Vice President, Southern European fleet;  Soazig Gueho , Porquerolles YC Press Officer; SallyAnne Santos , International 12mR Class (ITMA) Communications Director

2024 WORLDS NOTICE OF RACE POSTED: 12MR CHAMPIONSHIP RACING RETURNS TO THE MEDITERRANEAN

NEWPORT, RI (January 31, 2024) – The International Twelve Metre Association (ITMA) is pleased to announce the publication of the 2024 Notice of Race for the 12mR World Championship * hosted and organized by the Porquerolles Yacht Club (YCP) to be sailed in the harbor of Porquerolles (FR) from June 17-23, 2024. (*note: English version begins on PDF page 8/14)

According to a recent YCP press release: “ The 12m JI, historic class of the America’s Cup, for which they competed from 1958 to 1987, have become over the years the kings of the Cup. The Race Committee is planning “constructed” (windward-leeward or coastal) courses, very simple but technical to impose strategic choices representing the pinnacle of yacht racing for this high-level competition. ” (translated from French)

“It is a real source of pride for the Porquerolles Yacht Club to have been chosen to organize this world championship.” ~ Aurélie Lhuillier, Porquerolles Yacht Club Director

Originating as an Olympic Class in 1906, the International 12mR Class incorporates a number of age-based Divisions to accommodate the 116 years of evolution in yacht design, construction, materials and technology that is seen in the preserved and restored survivors of the premiere America’s Cup development Class.

Closely contested racing in both the oldest (Vintage: 1920-1939) and newest (Grand Prix: 1983-87) divisions is expected. In the Vintage division, the Baltic-based reigning 12mR World Champion Vim (US-15) will be on hand to defend their 2021 title; Flica II (K-14) , Jenetta (K-1) , Northern Light (US-14) and Thea (D-1) are also headed south with the Vintage Scandinavian squad from the Northern European fleet.

“We are looking forward to racing at Porqureolles and I am happy that we will have a good number of 12mRs from the N. European fleet participating throughout the Med this season.” ~ Patrick Howaldt , Vim (US-15) reigning 12mR Vintage Division World Champion (Helsinki, FI 2021)

French Kiss (F-7) helmsman, Marc Pajot said: “We anticipate great competition in the Grand Prix division with boats from the 1987 America’s Cup era.” These include: Crusader II (K-25) , Kiwi Magic (KZ-7) , Kookaburra II (KA-12) and South Australia (KA-8) .

“All of the crews are very motivated.; the site of the bay of Hyères and Porquerolles is very popular with everyone and we can’t wait to get back there” ~ Marc Pajot

Other World Sailing-sanctioned 12mR Divisions, identified in The 12mR Rule Appendix E are: Antique (1906-1920), Traditional (1950-1967) and Modern (1967-1983). Local favorite, France (F-1) will represent the Modern division. A 12mR Spirit group comprised of original but not-measured 12mRs of all divisions will be formed if more than 2 yachts of this description register for the event—these will be scored separately from World Championship competitors.

“It is fantastic to see the activity of the Southern European fleet in the Mediterranean. There is no better way to celebrate than the 12 Metre World Championship arranged by the Yacht Club De Porquerolle and the Yacht Club De France!” ~ Chris Winter , ITMA President

The 2024 12mR World Championship, the America’s Cup Legends 12mR Regatta and many other distinguished events are all part of the Yacht Club de France’s prestigious Coupe de France Series that spans the 2023-34 sailing seasons.

Event organizers strongly recommend early registration and booking of accommodation due to limited availability. Registrations received after March 15 will incur a 15% penalty.

Official Notice Board

The 2024 12 Metre World Championship is sanctioned by the International Twelve Metre Association (ITMA) and hosted by the Porquerolles Yacht Club with the Yacht Club de France.

THE PORQUEROLLES YACHT CLUB celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2016. Its founding President Sébastien Le Ber and his friends, passionate about sailing, created the Yacht Club in 1986 with a view to making the most of the magnificent body of water which surrounds Porquerolles.

THE YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE, founded in 1867, remains faithful to its vocation: to contribute to the development of pleasure boating in all its forms; in cruises and in racing, defend and promote the values of solidarity, courtesy and moral elegance that animate all seafarers. Recognized as a public utility on the eve of the Great War, the Yacht Club de France is proud to have counted among its members Jules Verne, Virginie Hériot, Alain Gerbault, Commander Charcot, Marin-Marie, Eric Tabarly. Respect traditions, bring together the sailors of tomorrow.

THE COUPE DE FRANCE by YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE was created in 1891 to develop the building of racing vessels in France. For its 55th edition, the challenge reunites the 12mR Class for twelve events throughout the Mediterranean Sea.

THE INTERNATIONAL 12 METRE ASSOCIATION encompasses a living history of racing yacht design by the world’s foremost naval architects including Olin Stephens, Clinton Crane, William Fife III, Philip Rhodes, Johan Anker, Ben Lexcen and more who pushed their designs to the very limits of innovation. The resulting boats represented the pinnacle of yacht development from 1907-1987 for the highest levels of international sailing competition– the Olympic Games (1908-1920) and the America’s Cup (1958-1987).

YCP CONTACTS:

Director: YC de Porquerolles Aurélie Lhuillier [email protected] +33 4 94 58 34 49

Press Officer: YC de Porquerolles Soazig Gueho [email protected] +33 6 62 08 74 44

ITMA CONTACTS:

Vice President: 12mR Fleet, Southern Europe Bernard Minvielle [email protected] +33 611 19 00 95

Communications Director: International 12 Metre Class SallyAnne Santos [email protected] +1 917-330-1730

Quicklinks:

12mR Worlds Official: https://12mrworlds.com

Porquerolles YC: https://yachtclubporquerolles.fr

Coupe de France: https://coupedefrance.org

International Twelve Metre Association: https://12mrclass.com

12mR Worlds Facebook: @12MetreWorldChampionship

ITMA Facebook: @12mRClass

12mR Worlds Instagram @12mRWorldChampionship

ITMA Instagram: @12metreclass

ITMA YouTube: @International12mR

#12mRClass, #12mRWorlds, #202412mRWorldsPorquerolles, #YachtClubdeFrance, #CoupedeFrance, #PorquerollesYC, #InternationalTwelveMetreAssociation, #12mR, #12Meter, #12Metre, #12mRracing, #PorquerollesFrance

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Porquerolles preview.

If past is prologue, the 2024 12mR World Championship to be organized by the Yacht Club de Porquerolles (Hyères, FRA) from June 16-24 will be truly spectacular! Recently six twelve metres built between 1929- 1986 representing a 57-year cross-section of 12mR development experienced the glorious sailing conditions and onshore hospitality of the venue. They were, Vintage: La Spina (I-1) ; Traditional: Ikra (K-3) ; Modern: France (F-1) ; and Grand Prix: South Australia (KA-8) , French Kiss (F-7) and Kiwi Magic (KZ-7) .

Sailing conditions were perfect with 8- 14 knots wind, air temperature 24°c and fantastic coastal scenery. Porquerolles is beautiful island 5 nm south of Hyères. It is a tourist attraction like Skagen in Denmark, Marstrand in Sweden and the Cape Cod area of the US. With only 200 year-round inhabitants, the island hosts up to 10,000 visitors on a summer day. It is a little paradise, known for the most sun hours in Cote D’Azur. The marina is huge and offers plenty of space for a regatta fleet of 70 boats. The little city is charming with small restaurants around the Square. The organizers were very good, everything worked out well including the social activities. It is a superb place for the Worlds in 2024, and we can highly recommend other 12mRs to come – you will love it! Johan Blach Petersen, Kiwi Magic (KZ-7)

Calling All 12mRs to the Med!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: SallyAnne Santos , ITMA Communications Director, +1 917-330-1730

Calling All Twelve Metres to the Mediterranean!

A message from itma president, chris winter and yacht club de france president, philippe héral:.

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, USA (June 6, 2023)

Please see the correspondence below from ITMA President, Chris Winter and Philippe Héral, President of the Yacht Club de France to the 12mR fleet worldwide.. It contains an invitation to all Twelve Metres to gather together in the Med to participate at the 55th Coupe de France regatta series and the Puig Vela Classica Barcelona and 12 Metre Reunion, AC Edition .

ITMA President Chris Winter added: “”This is an extraordinary time of rebuilding for the Twelve Metre Class worldwide, particularly in our Southern European fleet. We hope that you will share our excitement and join us in the Med for the exceptional series of events being planned over the next two seasons.”

For more information on the Series, please visit: CoupedeFrance.org

ABOUT THE 55th COUPE DE FRANCE

The   Yacht Club de France (YCF)   has announced a series of races for 12mR yachts throughout the 2023-24 sailing seasons; the winner will be awarded one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious yachting trophies; the spectacular  Coupe de France . Participating host yacht clubs along the glamorous Riviera– including Cannes, Porquerolles, Saint Tropez, Touloun, Hyères and Barcelona– will organize a comprehensive schedule of events featuring 40 days of racing, social events and festive celebrations for the 500+ crew members expected to compete. In 2023,  the Series will include events in both Europe and the United States  (Newport, RI) before moving exclusively to the Med in 2024 leading up to the 12mR World Championship at Porquerolles.

ABOUT THE YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE

Founded in 1867, the YC de France has been the Club of 100s of both famous and accomplished sailors including Virginie Hériot, Jean-Baptiste Charcot and Eric Tabarly. With its’ partner Clubs throughout the country, the YC de France represents a strong regatta organizing power in France.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL 12 METRE ASSOCIATION (ITMA)

The 112 year-old International 12 Metre Class encompasses a living history of racing yacht design by the world’s foremost naval architects including Olin Stephens, Clinton Crane, William Fife III, Philip Rhodes, Johan Anker, Ben Lexcen and more who pushed their designs to the very limits of innovation. The resulting boats represented the pinnacle of yacht development from 1907-1987 for the highest levels of international sailing competition– the Olympic Games (1908-1920) and the America’s Cup (1958-1987).

QUICKLINKS:

International 12mR Association (ITMA) https://12mrclass.com

#12mRClass, #12mRWorlds2024 , #CoupedeFrance

55th Coupe de France

Yacht club de france to award most prestigious trophy to 12mr winner.

The Yacht Club de France (YCF) has announced a series of races for 12mR yachts throughout the 2023-24 sailing seasons; the winner will be awarded one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious yachting trophies; the spectacular Coupe de France .

Participating host yacht clubs along the glamorous Riviera– including Cannes, Porquerolles, Saint Tropez, Touloun, Hyères and Barcelona– will organize a comprehensive schedule of events featuring 40 days of racing, social events and festive celebrations for the 500+ crew members expected to compete. This season, the Series will include events in both Europe and the United States (Newport, RI) before moving exclusively to the Med in 2024 leading up to the 12mR World Championship at Porquerolles.

A British team sailing at Cannes was the first to claim the impressive silver cup in 1898. Since then, the Coupe de France has been awarded to teams from Italy, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, Australia and France. 12mR sailors from all of these nations plus Canada, Denmark, Finland, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and the United States will compete for the privilege of raising this revered trophy in victory.

Learn more about the Series at the dedicated website: CoupedeFrance.org

ABOUT THE YACHT CLUB DE FRANCE: Founded in 1867, the YC de France has been the Club of 100s of both famous and accomplished sailors including Virginie Hériot, Jean-Baptiste Charcot and Eric Tabarly. With its’ partner Clubs throughout the country, the YC de France represents a strong regatta organizing power in France. Southern European Fleet

ABOUT THE SOUTHERN EUROPEAN 12 METRE FLEET: Sailing primarily in the Mediterranean Sea, this fleet includes yachts in France, Italy, Turkey and Portugal and also includes Oceania. Southern European Fleet

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL 12 METRE ASSOCIATION (ITMA): The 112 year-old International 12 Metre Class encompasses a living history of racing yacht design by the world’s foremost naval architects including Olin Stephens, Clinton Crane, William Fife III, Johan Anker, Alfred Mylne, Charles E. Nicholson, Philip Rhodes, Ben Lexcen and more who pushed their designs to the very limits of innovation. The resulting boats represented the pinnacle of yacht development from 1907-1987 for the highest levels of international sailing competition– the Olympic Games (1908-1920) and the America’s Cup (1958-1987). To learn more, visit 12mRClass.com

2023 12 Metre World Championship: Serious Tight Racing, Challenge XII and Columbia Become Two-Time World Champions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Barby MacGowan , Media Pro International, +1 (401) 849-0220 or Peggy Hersam , 12 Metre Yacht Club, +1 (203) 807-1066

12 Metre World Championship: Serious Tight Racing, Challenge XII and Columbia Become Two-Time World Champions

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, USA (August 6, 2023) – After participating in a morning parade around Newport Harbor that was punctuated by cannon salutes from yacht clubs and other prime waterfront viewing spots, ten historic 12 Metres moved on to Rhode Island Sound for Saturday’s final race of the 12 Metre World Championship . To be named the World Champions at the end of the day, Jack LeFort’s (Winter Park, Fla./Jamestown, R.I.) Challenge XII (KA-10) had merely to finish better than fifth among Modern Division’s five entries if Takashi Okura’s Japanese entry Freedom (US-30) , close behind in the standings, were to win. The day prior, Kevin Hegarty/Anthony Chiurco’s (Newport, R.I./Princeton, N.J.) Columbia (US-16) already had mathematically sewn up the nine-race series in the five-boat Traditional/Vintage Division.

After waiting for two hours, a windward/leeward course was set (later shortened) for a seven-knot breeze, and  Challenge XII  handily sailed to victory while  Freedom  finished fifth to maintain its Modern Division podium position of second place.  Columbia  finished third, while the fleet’s oldest boat, Mark Watson’s (Newport, R.I.)  Onawa  (US-6 ) ,   built in 1928, sailed its way to a clean victory and a claim on second place overall for the Traditional/Vintage Division.

Both the Challenge XII and Columbia teams, homegrown with mostly local crews, won the Worlds in 2019 when it last was held in Newport.

“Conditions were light, heavy, medium…we went up the (Narragansett) Bay, out on the ocean – it was just a great across-the-board test for the fleet,” said LeFort, whose veteran team includes his wife Lisa LeFort as navigator and America’s Cup/Volvo Ocean Race veteran Ken Read as tactician. “The good news is that Sunday’s conditions – light air and lumpy seas – were good for us.”

Racing started Tuesday (August 1) with one race in light 8-9 knot breezes that gave Challenge XII (in Modern Division) and Robert Morton’s (Middletown, R.I.) American Eagle (US-21 ) (in Traditional/Vintage Division) an early boost for winning. Both teams, however, fell to second behind Freedom and Onawa , respectively, after two races on Wednesday, held again in light 5-8 knot air. For Thursday and Friday, 18-20 knot winds proved also to be good for Challenge XII , as the team won three of five races held in Modern Division while Columbia won all five held in Traditional/Vintage Division.

It’s not about being the fastest boat,” said Columbia’s Hegarty, who helmed at the starts and then became tactician while Chiurco drove. “Whomever performs the best, or messes up the least, is going to win. That’s why I love sailing 12 Meters; everything is manual, and it takes muscle and teamwork. There is no other class like it.”

Hegerty said it hit him in the middle of the night on Friday that he and his team – which like Challenge XII’s has been sailing together for over a decade – were now two-time 12 Metre World champions. “I woke up and just had a big smile on my face.” The smiles (and cheers) spilled over into Saturday night’s Awards Party, held at the IYRS School of Technology and Trades, which served as headquarters for the six-day event. Kudos especially were given to PRO Mark Foster and his Ida Lewis Yacht Club Race Committee team for their extraordinary acumen and patience.

“Conditions were all over the place and the Race Committee adjusted to them and so did the teams,” said Ida Lewis representative Guy Sanchez.

Other Modern Division teams competing were Peter Askew’s (Key Largo, Fla.) Enterprise (US-27) , Andrew Rose’s (Newport Beach, Calif.) Defender (US-33) and Dawn Riley’s Oakcliff trainees (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) sailing Courageous (US-26) .

Other Traditional/Vintage Division teams competing were Jack Klinck’s (Concord, Mass.) Nefertiti (US-19) and Steve Eddleston’s (Bristol, R.I.) Weatherly (US-17) .

The Ted Turner Trophy for most significant contribution to the 12 Metre Class went to Steve Eddleston,Commodore of the 12 Metre Yacht Club Newport Station, who subsequently presented the Tiedemann Trophy for best Vintage yacht to  Onawa .

The Worlds fleet included four boats that successfully defended the America’s Cup when it was sailed in Newport in 12 Metres from 1958 to 1983: Columbia – 1958, Weatherly -1962, Courageous – 1974/1977 and Freedom – 1980.

The 2023 12 Metre World Championship is sanctioned by the International Twelve Metre Association (ITMA) and hosted by the 12 Metre Yacht Club Newport Station in partnership with Organizing Authority Ida Lewis Yacht Club .

OUR PARTNERS:

Making the 12 Metre Worlds possible are sponsors Audrain Hospitality ; Clarke Cooke House ; Edge Realty ; Flux Marine ; Gill Marine ; Hammetts Hotel ; Jefferson’s Bourbon Lemon & Line ; North Sails ; Pallas Capital Advisors ; Palm Beach Motor Yachts ; PKF O’Connor Davies ; Seabags ; and Starkweather & Shepley Insurance .

Spectator and sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Peggy Hersam, 12 Metre Yacht Club Executive Director, [email protected] , +1 (203) 807-1066. Notice of Race and other race information available at www.12mrworlds.com .

Administration & Sponsorship: 12 Metre Yacht Club Peggy Hersam [email protected] +1 (203) 807-1066

Press Officer: Media Pro Int’l Barby MacGowan [email protected] +1 401-849-0220

Communications Director: International 12 Metre Assocation SallyAnne Santos [email protected] +1 917-330-1730

12mR Worlds Official: https://12mrworlds.com /

12 Metre Yacht Club, Newport Station: https://12myc.org

Ida Lewis Yacht Club: https://ilyc.org

International Twelve Metre Association (ITMA) https://12mrclass.com

12MYC Instagram: @12_metre_yacht_club

12MYC Facebook: @12MetreYachtClub

12MYC Twitter: @12myc_Newport

#12mRClass, #12mRWorlds, #202312mRWorldsNewport, #12MYC, #InternationalTwelveMetreAssociation, #12mR, #12Meter, #12Metre, #NewportRI

2023 12 Metre World Championship: At the Halfway Mark, Things are Heating Up

12 metre world championship: at the halfway mark, things are heating up.

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, USA (August 3, 2023) – With six races under their sailing belts, the 12 Metre sailors here for the  12 Metre World Championship  are more than halfway through their scheduled nine-race series. The ten-boat fleet of historic 12 Metre sloops – measuring 68-72 feet long and split evenly into Modern and Traditional/Vintage Divisions – started racing Tuesday (August 1), and though excruciatingly light winds on that day only allowed for a single race, Wednesday’s 5-8 knot breezes yielded two races, and today’s 10-12 knot breezes generously fueled three races.

“It was tricky and difficult for the first two days,” said New Zealander Murray Jones , who serves as tactician for Takashi Okura’s Japanese entry Freedom (US-30) , which was leading Modern Division going into today with a one-point margin over Jack LeFort’s (Winter Park, Fla./Jamestown, R.I.) Challenge XII (KA-10). “We’re not the fastest boat in light winds, so we were just happy to make it through in good shape.” Murray has sailed in six America’s Cups (1995, 2000 and 2016 aboard New Zealand; 2003, 2007, and 2010 Alinghi; and 2013 Oracle), winning all but one (2010).

Today’s relatively stronger winds showed that Freedom had legs, but Challenge XII had the better pace and tactics to turn in a full string of victories over the three races, with Freedom taking second in all three. “It was really fantastic 12 Metre sailing today,” said LeFort, explaining that Freedom is “extraordinarily well sailed” and in the second race the two boats were overlapped almost the whole time. “It wasn’t until the middle of the last leg (of the windward-leeward twice around course) that we were able to get inside them on a jibe.”

Serving as Challenge XII’s tactician was Ken Read (Middletown,R.I.), helmsman on two Stars & Stripes America’s Cup campaigns (2000, 2003) and strategist/coach for the Young America campaign in 1995. “Ken makes the decisions on where to go and the rest of us just try to get the boat there as fast as we can,” said LeFort. “Today’s were good conditions for Challenge XII ; we were right in our sweet spot.”

In Traditional/Vintage Division, Mark Watson’s (Newport, R.I.)  Onawa  (US-6 )  had the upper hand on Tuesday and Wednesday over Robert Morton’s (Middletown, R.I.) American Eagle  (US-21) , but only by a point going into today’s racing. Watson had said his team had done “a good job seeing where the wind was and getting into it” and Morton had been ecstatic over winning the first race of the series. Morton’s goal was to sail consistently and his score line of 2-4-2 today, added to his previous 1-4-2, allowed him to take the overall lead. With a 5-2-5 today,  Onawa  dropped to third place behind Kevin Hegarty/Anthony Chiurco’s (Newport, R.I.)  Columbia  (US-16) , which won all three races today.

racing schedule:

A total of nine windward-leeward races are scheduled over five days. (Four completed races shall constitute a regatta.) Yachts will sail either on Rhode Island Sound or north of the Pell Bridge on Narragansett Bay.

Tuesday, August 1 – Saturday, August 5. Rendezvous location announced on VHF Radio channel 72 at 9:00 a.m. with the first warning signal at 11:00 a.m.

Saturday, August 5 Rendezvous location announced at 9:00 with first warning signal at 12:00 noon following the boat parade. No race will start after 3:00 on Saturday.

2023 12 Metre World Championship: A Live-Action history lesson

12 metre world championship: a live-action history lesson.

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, USA (July 23, 2023) – The year 2023 marks exactly 40 years since the U.S. lost the America’s Cup to Australia on the world stage of Newport, R.I. That moment in sports history might not have gotten the attention it did had it not been for the breaking of the longest winning streak in sporting history (132 years) or the international intrigue surrounding the moment when Australia unveiled its “secret weapon” winged keel on its winning 12 Metre Australia II (KA-6) , skippered by John Bertrand , which prevailed four races to three over Liberty (US-40) , skippered by Dennis Conner . But there it was – on September 26, 1983 at Newport Offshore (now Club Wyndham Newport Onshore) – for millions across the globe to see by television and thousands in Newport to see in person: a bird-like appendage that contributed to a sporting upset bigger than any before, leaving 26-time (since 1851) America’s Cup Defender New York Yacht Club stunned and first-ever successful Challenger Royal Perth Yacht Club elated.

“What’s intriguing is that Challenge XII (KA-10) was built in 1982 for the 1983 Challenger Trials as a second boat for Australia (sailed by the Royal Victoria Yacht Club); it was a sister-ship to Australia II , except she had (and still has) a traditional keel instead of a winged keel,” said Jack LeFort (Winter Park, Fla./Jamestown, R.I.), who has owned Challenge XII for eight years and will skipper her in the upcoming 12 Metre World Championship, which starts Sunday, July 30. “No one on the outside knew what was giving Australia II an edge on speed, but Challenge XII was impressively fast, too.” (After losing in the Challenger quarterfinals, Challenge XII became the Trial horse for KA-6.

LeFort won the Modern Division at the 2019 12 Metre World Championship, also held in Newport, and says the competition this time around – among a total of ten historic 12 Metres (five in Modern and five in Traditional/Vintage Division) – will prove extraordinarily close on a world-class level. “In the Modern Division, the team aboard Takashi Okura ’s Freedom (US-30) (America’s Cup winner in 1980) has won the TP/52 Worlds twice and the Enterprise (US-27) team, skippered by Peter Askew , is well known for its winning Wizard campaigns. As well, Courageous (US-26) (Cup winner in 1974 and 1977) and Defender (US-33) have certainly proved themselves in recent regattas.”

“I was still in school in ’83 and was on the dock during the Trials in 1977 when Ted Turner and Gary Jobson rushed by with cameras following them,” said Courageous Skipper Dawn Riley , who would go on to sail in four America’s Cup races and two Whitbread Round the World races. “It made a big impression on a 13-year-old from Detroit!”

Riley will sail with a young and diverse crew from the Oakcliff Sailing Center she runs in Oyster Bay, N.Y. “No one other than me and one trimmer had ever stepped foot on a 12 Metre before this May,” said Riley. (The America’s Cup had moved on to other boats when Riley competed.) “ Courageous seems to be a very solid boat, and when we can sail away from other boats, we are good. When we get close to them, we have some learning to do. Hydraulic headstays and runners, check stays, overlapping jibs and dip pole jibes are all new to most of our team.”

According to Robert Morton (Middletown, R.I.), skipper of American Eagle (US-21) in Traditional/Vintage Division, “Everyone has to figure out how to beat Columbia (US-16) (Cup winner in 1958). She has a consistent record of winning each regatta, and although it is very close racing, she has a definite speed edge on the rest of the fleet. We feel that consistency is a key aspect of a long regatta like this, so our goal is to stay near the top in every race. We have not sailed against Onawa (US-6) very much, so she adds a new dimension to the racing during this series.” Nefertiti (US-19) and Weatherly (US-17) (Cup winner in 1962) are also sailing in Traditonal/Vintage Division.

Morton fondly remembers the times when the America’s Cup had a national interest (cover stories in Sports Illustrated and Time magazines) and Newport was the center of the sports world for that whole summer of 1983.

“I was there on the final day of the Cup in ‘83, and I will never forget the huge spectator fleet coming in past Castle Hill with all their running lights on because the days were shorter in September,” said Morton. “The 12 Metres turned out to be excellent boats for match racing and virtually all of the technical developments associated with gearing the boats up for the Cup trickled down to the average sailor and racer. Today, the America’s Cup is way too far from the experience of the average sailor, and those boats will never be around and sailing 40 years from now.”

Spectators can view the historic 12 Metres sailing either outside on Rhode Island Sound or north of Pell Bridge on Narragansett Bay (determined by weather) from Tuesday, August 1 through Saturday, August 5 when racing is scheduled.

“Onboard, the 12 metres are powerful and complicated,” said Dawn Riley about the single-masted sloops ranging between 68-72 feet in length, “but from off the boat, they are a majestic sight to see. I hope everyone can enjoy them all lined up and sailing at full power.”

12mR Worlds Official Facebook: @12MetreWorldChampionship

2023 12 Metre World Championship: Ready to Roll

12 metre world championship: ready to roll.

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND, USA (July 11, 2023) – The 2023 12mR World Championship , sanctioned by the International Twelve Metre Association and hosted by the 12 Metre Yacht Club Newport Station in partnership with Organizing Authority Ida Lewis Yacht Club , starts Sunday, July 30 and will continue with five days of racing (Tuesday through Saturday, August 1-5). For those who may not know, this is one of the most significant events related to Newport’s heritage as an epicenter for world-class sailboat racing. The America’s Cup, one of the most famous competitions between countries, was held here in Newport 12 times from 1930 to 1983, and for nine of those times, from 1958 to 1983, the sailboat used to determine the winners was the 12 Metre, a single-masted sloop ranging between 66-72 feet in length.

Ten historic 12 Metres will compete in the World Championship, which was last held in the U.S. (in Newport) in 2019. They include four yachts that have successfully defended the America’s Cup: 1958, Columbia (US-16); 1962, Weatherly (US-17) ; 1974 & 1977 Courageous (US-26) and 1980, Freedom (US-30).

On the 2023 roster , all but Weatherly and Nefertiti (US-19) competed at the 2019 12 Metre Worlds, which saw Challenge XII (KA-10) and Columbia each winning their respective divisions – Modern and Traditional – with returning helmsmen Jack LeFort (Winter Park, Fla./Jamestown, R.I.) and Kevin Hegarty/Anthony Chiurco (Newport, R.I./Princeton, N.J.), respectively.

In the Modern Division, returning 12 Metres Courageous , Defender (US-33) , Freedom and Enterprise (US-27) all will be sailed by new groups. America’s Cup Hall of Fame member Dawn Riley (Oyster Bay, N.Y.) will skipper Courageous with a young and diverse crew from Oakcliff Sailing aboard. Andrew Rose (Newport Beach, Calif.) will take the helm of Defender , while Japan’s Takashi Okura will lead his team aboard Freedom , and Peter Askew (Key Largo, Fla.) will skipper Enterprise .

“This is a highly competitive group and we expect extremely close racing,” said 12 Metre Yacht Club Director Peggy Hersam. “You won’t want to miss it!”

In the Traditional Division, returning American Eagle (US-21) will be skippered by Bob Morton while newcomers to the Worlds Weatherly and Nefertiti will be skippered by Steven Eddleston (Bristol, R.I.) and Jack Klinck (Concord, Mass.), respectively.

In Vintage division, which will be combined with the Traditional Division for racing purposes here, Onawa (US-6) returns with Mark Watson (Newport, R.I.) at the helm.

12 Metre pre-worlds

Congratulations to Enterprise (US-27), sailed by Peter Askew (Key Largo, Fla.) for winning the 12-Metre Pre-Worlds in the Modern Division. Columbia (US-16), with Kevin Hegarty (Newport, R.I.) and Anthony Chiurco (Princeton, N.J.) leading the charge, won the combined Traditional/Vintage class. The Pre-worlds were part of Sail Newport’s 2023 Newport Regatta, held July 8-9 in Newport. Seven of the 10 Twelves registered for the Worlds competed over four races.

12 Metre parade

At 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 5, fans can cheer on their favorite teams during the Parade of 12 Metres. Led by Race Committee Signal Boat Casta Diva and dignitaries and VIPs aboard a special Palm Beach Motor Yacht, will consist of twelve historic 12 Metres (many of which sailed here during Newport’s America’s Cup days).

The 12 Metres will start east of Goat Island and parade clockwise around the harbor, past Newport Yacht Club , Bannister’s Wharf , Newport Yachting Center/Hammetts Hotel , the International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS), Ida Lewis Yacht Club , and New York Yacht Club where they will be saluted by cannon before heading out for their final race of the series. Catch them from these locations and just about every wharf on the east side of Newport Harbor. Give them a hip hip hooray, and look for Newport’s Boys & Girls Club kids who will be riding on Heritage (US-23) and Intrepid (US-22) . The latter Twelve is a two-time winner of the America’s Cup and one of the most famous yachts worldwide!

Tuesday, August 1 – Friday, August 4. Rendezvous location announced on VHF Radio channel 72 at 9:00 a.m. with the first warning signal at 11:00 a.m.

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The 12m Class and the America’s Cup By Halsey C. Herreshoff

Credit: www.herreshoff.org

The 150-year history of the America’s Cup, the oldest and most distinguished prize in world sport, is summarized from the author’s vantage point of belonging to a family of boat designers and builders who contributed to the dominance of American yachts from the beginning into the 1980s. Particulars and performances of the most important designs are described from AMERICA to the current International America’s Cup Class.

Introduction

The America’s Cup is the Holy Grail of yacht racing. It is much more. This Cup, in competition for a period of 150 years, is the oldest and most distinguished trophy in all sport, outdating the World Cup, Davis Cup, Stanley Cup, Walker Cup, and all others of significance. Excepting the lavish excesses of big time modern professional sport, more talent, effort, and money have been devoted to the America’s Cup than for any other sport competitions. From the standpoint of naval architecture, America’s Cup intensity has inspired countless design breakthroughs, fallout from which benefit all yachts today to an extent generally unrealized by those who sail. Here, a highly focused pursuit of excellence has provided quality, boldness, and dedication to be the best. The most elegant hull lines, most efficient construction, best sails, and most skillful sailing techniques have evolved from America’s Cup competition.

For 132 years (1851 to 1983), the United States enjoyed the longest winning streak in all sport. There were close calls but always the U.S. won the series and most of the individual races. Through that time, American yachts were generally, though not always, the fastest; thus, it may be fairly stated that victories followed very much from technical prowess.

As with any ship design, a sailing yacht embodies many necessary elements, which must dovetail to accomplish its mission. What is nice about America’s Cup design is that the only mission is speed, maneuverability and reliability to best a single match race rival around a closed course. Size, weight, wetted surface, hull form, light but strong construction, efficient rigs with good sails, sea kindliness and maneuverability are necessary. In general the successful boats embody acceptable or superior selections in the above categories. Bold innovation has been rewarded, but nearly always, extremes have failed. In a series of yacht races encompassing generally a variety of wind and sea conditions, an overall good boat wins.

It is appropriate to divide America’s Cup history into seven logical chronological divisions. The outstanding or most interesting yacht of each period will be addressed herewith. Listed below are the America’s Cup competitions by era with the names of the winning and defeated yachts respectively. In each case the focus yacht is in boldface type.

The l2-Metre era: 1958-1987

Following World War II, the conventional wisdom on both sides of the Atlantic was that the America’s Cup was done. The world was rebuilding and there seemed little prospect of funding further J boats given their assumed greatly accelerated cost. The Cup itself remained the pride of the New York Yacht Club, continually on display in the trophy room of the 44th Street Club House. Most of us expected it to just remain there for a long time, perhaps never to be raced for again.

Enter Commodores Henry Sears and Henry Morgan of the New York Yacht Club. By petitioning the Supreme Court of the State of New York, they modified the Deed of Gift to allow smaller yachts without the previous demand that challengers must cross the ocean on their own bottoms. It was agreed to compete in the International 12-Metre Class, which had provided excellent racing for several years before the war. Designed to the rather tight specifications of the International Rule, these boats did not really fit the grand traditions of the Cup but nevertheless provided nearly three decades of some of the finest match racing ever.

1958-1987: The 12-Metres 1958 COLUMBIA vs. SCEPTRE 1962 WEATHERLY vs. GRETEL 1964 CONSTELLATION vs. SOVEREIGN 1967 INTREPID vs. DAME PATTIE 1970 INTREPID vs. GRETEL II 1974 COURAGEOUS vs. SOUTHERN CROSS 1977 COURAGEOUS vs. AUSTRALIA 1980 FREEDOM vs. AUSTRALIA 1983 AUSTRALIA II vs. LIBERTY 1987 STARS & STRIPES vs. KOOKABURRA III

I can write more knowledgeably about the 12-Metre era than any other, as I was an active participant for 25 years and an observer for the full 29 years. Through acquaintance with Harry Sears, I was excused from other duties as a naval officer to sail aboard COLUMBIA, the 1958 Cup Defender, as bowman. Sailing aboard the 12’s in most of their seasons, I participated in four America’s Cup series, a total of 20 races; it was all about the greatest fun I’ve ever had.

The International Rule is an inelegant arbitrary formula that controls and restricts the design of these boats within narrow limits. There is a minimum length, maximum draft, maximum rig heights, and a set relation between length and displacement. Scantlings first in wood and later in aluminum are tightly controlled by specifics of the rule, Nevertheless, innovation in design particularly by Olin Stephens brought about nearly continual improvement of the boats, and the design edge of the United States long seemed to assure retention of the Cup as it did over many matches through 1980.

Curiously, some of the finest racing of all was in the finals of the first selection trials between COLUMBIA, sailed by Briggs Cunningham and designed by Sparkman & Stephens against Stephens prewar 12-Metre VIM. These were great tactical battles with racing margins of a few seconds in many races. The Cup race itself that year was a walk; SCEPTRE was a quite inferior design that had never faced competition before the match. As had happened a few times before, WEATHERLY, a weak American boat, won in 1962 by the brilliance of Bus Mobacher, her skipper. That was the first year of an Australian challenger and GRETEL won a race demonstrating the aggressive posture of Australian sailors.

Another S&S yacht, CONSTELLATION won in 1964. She was a quite elegant all-round boat, which was selected as Cup Defender over the large and powerful AMERICAN EAGLE, which was only superior in heavy weather. This should have been a tip off to the future but the true significance of having to design the smallest possible 12-Metre for Newport conditions was not generally appreciated until Australia II lifted the Cup in 1983. The reason 12-Metres form an exception to the axiom “design big” is the idiosyncrasy of the rule, particularly the prescription of increased displacement with length.

Olin Stephens’ INTREPID of 1967 was a breakthrough yacht. Wetted surface was drastically reduced with a shorter keel and separate rudder and the boat had numerous refinements. With outstanding management and the skill of Mosbacher again as skipper, INTREPID was unbeatable. The quest for further breakthroughs led to some peculiar and unsuccessful designs over the next two seasons.

The 1970 match was saved by repeat defense of INTREPID. In 1974, Olin Stephens designed another very fine boat, COURAGEOUS. Built of aluminum under new scantling rules, COURAGEOUS was powerful and superior in a breeze but did not easily defeat INTREPID, striving for a third defense. The selection trials reduced to a memorable sudden-death race in a 30-knot northeast breeze that COURAGEOUS won through both superior speed and better sailing. While I personally believe that Stephens’s 1977 boat, ENTERPRISE, was a further improvement in the same direction, Ted Turner sailing COURAGEOUS beat her out for the defense. Though not of demonstrably different dimensions, FREEDOM of 1980 seemed very superior. One difference was lower freeboard – providing a lower center of gravity and less hull windage. The new ingredient was a brilliant program of development of sails, gear and crew established by skipper Dennis Conner over a two-year program. The success of the program altered America’s Cup procedures from then on. Even with that, FREEDOM did lose one of the races of the match principally owing to a light-air advantage of Australia employing a rule-beating mainsail that gave her superior windward speed in light air.

Then, in 1983, the unthinkable happened in Newport when AUSTRALIA II beat LIBERTY in “The Race of the Century,” the sudden-death seventh race of that match. AUSTRALIA II was the best 12-Metre yacht to sail in the 25-year history of competition at Newport. Her extraordinary and controversial winged keel was, of course, the conspicuous feature. The ballyhoo about that masked the significant facts that AUSTRALIA II was the first boat to go to minimum 12-Metre length and displacement and that she had significantly less wetted surface than any other Twelve; this latter fact won the Cup! Less wetted surface followed naturally from a smaller boat but also from a keel of radically small planform. Where that had failed 13 years earlier in VALIANT with a conventional keel, it succeeded in spades on AUSTRALIA II because the winged keel provided sufficient hydrodynamic lift (side force) without the conventional large area. Because 12’s have draft limited by a function of length, they crave more draft or the equivalent effect. The lift-enhancing action of the “end plate” wings provided that very effectively.

While the racing ended at Newport in 1983 with the victory by the wonderful AUSTRALIA II, the subsequent events are equally interesting. Dennis Conner took charge again and with a brilliantly conceived and executed plan won back the Cup the first time sailing Twelves in the challenging waters of western Australia. The final STARS & STRIPES was a one-weather boat, big and powerful for the consistent “Doctor” (strong winds) of Freemantle. Others did not have the strength of their convictions to go with such a big and powerful boat. Dennis’s crew and tactics were admirable in this most wonderful challenge at a spectacular sailing locale.

The one-weather quality of STARS & STRIPES was abundantly clear from her total failure to win light-weather 12-Metre races in European waters later in 1987. An AUSTRALIA II type boat was needed there or would have been for continued 12-Metre races in Newport or San Diego.

Published on November 21st, 2017 | by Editor

12-Meter: The Perfect Starter Boat

Published on November 21st, 2017 by Editor -->

by Jonathan Russo, Observer.com The world of sailing has some great competitions. There is the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, Vendee Globe, Extreme Sailing Series, and Sydney Hobart. The downside is you’re probably not going to get to sail in them—ever. They’re either just for pros, or so difficult and expensive they’re reserved for millionaires and billionaires.

But the 12-Meter class of boats (usually referred to as Twelves, maybe out of affection, maybe because the spelling of “meter” is subject to global debate) wants no part in that. This venerable category has it all: a historical pedigree second to none (they sailed in the 1908 Olympics), an active global fleet, a cohesive class association and a charter program that is both accessible and affordable.

These are boats that look and feel like boats. They do not fly on foils or capsize from instability.

The Twelves were first launched in 1907, and they are still being built (or re-built) today. They’re about 70 feet long and are designed to a measurement rule. They’re not all the same, but within their sub-class their weighting and measurements are similar that they can race against each other. In this way, design innovations, like modern underbodies and new rigs, are incorporated into the class. New and old boats have their own divisions.

Sailing’s legends like Olin Stephens have designed 12-Meter boats. Vim, a Stephens design built in 1939, is one of the most beloved Twelves of all time, and it’s still racing and winning in Europe. Philip Rhodes designed Weatherly, and she is still actively racing and available for charter in Newport, Rhode Island. Sparkman and Stephens designed Columbia, Intrepid and one that Ted Turner made famous in the 1977 America’s Cup, Courageous. All are still racing. And Columbia and Intrepid are available for charter.

The world’s most skilled skippers made their marks in the 12-Meter class: Dennis Connor; Ted Hood, Emil (Bus) Mosbacher; and of course, Ted Turner. All of them sailed Twelves in the America’s Cup.

The height of 12-Meter fever was during the 1958 to 1987 America’s Cup years—a long run by any standard. The Twelves were perfect for the post-J-Class era. Unlike the Js, which are mammoth, Twelves require a far smaller crew, are a fraction the size and cost, and can be modified easily as racing technology advances. These boats kept the Cup safely in American hands, demonstrating to the world, in the waters off Newport, that America had the best boats and best sailors. Now a series of regattas have been organized to celebrate the revival of the Twelves. This summer saw three: two in Newport and one in Martha’s Vineyard. All presented under the umbrella of “Road to the Worlds.” That “road” will end in 2019, in Newport, with the World Championships. Peter Gerard, Vice President of the America’s fleet, believes there will be 30 or more boats sailing for the trophies. Twelve of the boats are based in Newport, but the fleet is truly international; there are Twelves in 17 countries.

During the past few years, several old Twelves have been restored to their former glory. Others have had major upgrades. Freedom, an Olin Stephens design, has been completely redone. Defender, a David Pedrick design, has been salvaged and made new again. Defender’s owner, Dennis Williams, has also restored Victory 83. As he sees it, “We’re only guardians of these boats. We want to leave them better than we found them.” Several other owners agree.

For example, the Ben Lexcen-designed—Challenge XII, the sister ship to the revolutionary winged keel Australia II that snatched the Cup away for the first time in 1983—made its 2017 debut after a complete refit, winning its first regatta. Enterprise, another yacht from the fabled Sparkman and Stephens design board, is currently “in the shed” for a complete refit, in anticipation of being on the starting line in June 2018.

Peter Gerard pointed out that Twelves attract aficionados of yachts and history, not to mention beauty. “These yachts are thought to be amongst the most beautiful ever afloat. Their lines are graceful and they sail through the water like a proper yacht,” he said. The class is sailed by all Corinthian (amateur) crews. Clearly this is not about who has the biggest checkbook.”

The fleet is divided into four groups: Grand-Prix, Modern, Traditional and Vintage. There is also an antique category. The groupings reflect age, rudder and sail configurations, and a whole host of rating rule constraints. The hoped-for result is competitive racing without resorting to handicapping.

Aside from owning one of the Twelves, a one-half to million-dollar a year proposition between boat purchase and campaign costs, there is a way to participate in this exciting class revival: charter.

And for this, there’s a very active fleet. Current boats available for charter include Weatherly, Nefertiti, American Eagle, Intrepid, Columbia, Heritage, Gleam, Onawa, and Northern Light. One can rent them for a regatta, or for just a sail around the bay with family and friends. The Twelves are often used for corporate team-building exercises.

I have been fortunate enough to sail on chartered Twelves in regattas—once for the Opera House Cup in Martha’s Vineyard, and once for a guys’ weekend in Newport’s Narraganset Bay. I was also part of a group that sailed a Twelve in New York Harbor for a fundraiser. I had a blast each time. The Twelves are big but not too big, strong but not too overwhelming, powerful but not uncontrollable. Their graceful lines translate into a smooth knife through the water.

You can feel the historical lineage of all the legendary sailors who designed, built or skippered a Twelve. Their nautical spirits whisper to you through the rigging.

As Gerard says, “It’s hard to sail a more beautiful boat with such incredible history than a Twelve.” I would have to agree.

Author : Jonathan Russo has been a sailing enthusiast for 30 years. He sails his Sabre 38 “Sachem” and an Etchell’s from the Shelter Island Yacht Club. He has written about sailing and racing for Soundings, Scuttlebutt, and The Shelter Island Reporter.com.

Tags: 12 Metre , Jonathan Russo , Observer

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Why a 12-Meter Yacht Is Your Perfect Starter Boat

The 12-meter category has it all: a historical pedigree, an active global fleet, a cohesive class association and a charter program that is both accessible and affordable..

The world of sailing has some great competitions. There is the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean, Vendee Globe, Extreme Sailing and Sydney to Hobart races. The downside is you’re probably not going to get to sail in them—ever. They’re either just for pros, or so difficult and expensive they’re reserved for millionaires and billionaires.

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But the 12-Meter class of boats (usually referred to as Twelves, maybe out of affection, maybe because the spelling of “meter” is subject to global debate) wants no part in that. This venerable category has it all: a historical pedigree second to none (they sailed in the 1908 Olympics), an active global fleet, a cohesive class association and a charter program that is both accessible and affordable. These are boats that look and feel like boats. They do not fly on foils or capsize from instability.

The Twelves were first launched in 1907, and they are still being built today. They’re about 70 feet long and are designed to what is known as a “box rule.” They’re not all the same, but within their sub class their weighting and measurements are similar that they can race against each other. In this way, design innovations, like modern underbodies and new rigs, are incorporated into the class. New and old boats have their own divisions.

Sailing’s legends like Olin Stephens have designed 12-Meter boats.  Vim, a Stephens design built in 1939, is one of the most beloved Twelves of all time, and it’s still racing and winning in Europe. Philip Rhodes designed Weatherly, and she is still actively racing and available for charter in Newport, Rhode Island. Sparkman and Stephens designed Columbia, Intrepid and one that Ted Turner made famous in the 1977 America’s Cup, Courageous . All are still racing. And  Columbia and Intrepid are available for charter.

The world’s most skilled skippers made their marks in the 12-Meter class: Dennis Connor; Ted Hood, Emil (Bus) Mosbacher; and of course, Ted Turner. All of them sailed Twelves in the America’s Cup.

The height of 12-Meter fever was during the 1958 to 1987 America’s Cup years—a long run by any standard. The Twelves were perfect for the post-J-Boat era. Unlike the Js, which are mammoth, Twelves require a far smaller crew, are a fraction the size and cost, and can be modified easily as racing technology advances. These boats kept the Cup safely in American hands, demonstrating to the world, in the waters off Newport, that America had the best boats and best sailors.

Now a series of regattas have been organized to celebrate the revival of the Twelves. This summer saw three: two in Newport and one in Martha’s Vineyard. All presented under the umbrella of “Road to the Worlds.” That “road” will end in 2019, in Newport, with the World Championships. Peter Gerard, Vice President of the America’s fleet, believes there will be 30 or more boats sailing for the trophies. Twelve of the boats are based in Newport, but the fleet is truly international; there are Twelves in 17 countries.

During the past few years, several old Twelves have been restored to their former glory. Others have had major upgrades. Freedom, an Olin Stephens design, has been completely redone. Defender, a David Pedrick design, has been salvaged and made new again.  Defender’ s owner, Dennis Williams, has also restored Victory 83. As he sees it, “We’re only guardians of these boats. We want to leave them better than we found them.” Several other owners agree.

For example, the Ben Lexcen-designed— Challenge XII, the sister ship to the revolutionary winged keel Australia II  that snatched the Cup away for the first time in 1983—made its 2017 debut after a complete refit, winning its first regatta. Enterprise, another yacht from the fabled Sparkman and Stephens design board, is currently “in the shed” for a complete refit, in anticipation of being on the starting line in June 2018.

Peter Gerard pointed out that Twelves attract aficionados of yachts and history, not to mention beauty. “These yachts are thought to be amongst the most beautiful ever afloat. Their lines are graceful and they sail through the water like a proper yacht,” he said. The class is sailed by all Corinthian (amateur) crews. Clearly this is not about who has the biggest checkbook.

The fleet is divided into four groups: Grand-Prix, Modern, Traditional and Vintage. There is also an antique category. The groupings reflect age, rudder and sail configurations, and a whole host of rating rule constraints. The hoped-for result is competitive racing without resorting to handicapping.

Aside from owning one of the Twelves, a one-half to million-dollar a year proposition between boat purchase and campaign costs, there is a way to participate in this exciting class revival: charter.

And for this, there’s a very active fleet. Current boats available for charter include Weatherly, Nefertiti, American Eagle, Intrepid, Columbia, Heritage, Gleam, Onawa, and Northern Light. One can rent them for a regatta, or for just a sail around the bay with family and friends. The Twelves are often used for corporate team-building exercises.

I have been fortunate enough to sail on chartered Twelves in regattas—once for the Opera House Cup in Martha’s Vineyard, and once for a guys’ weekend in Newport’s Narraganset Bay. I was also part of a group that sailed a Twelve in New York Harbor for a fundraiser. I had a blast each time. The Twelves are big but not too big, strong but not too overwhelming, powerful but not uncontrollable. Their graceful lines translate into a smooth knife through the water .

You can feel the historical lineage of all the legendary sailors who designed, built or skippered a Twelve. Their nautical spirits whisper to you through the rigging.

As Gerard says, “It’s hard to sail a more beautiful boat with such incredible history than a Twelve.” I would have to agree.

Jonathan Russo has been a sailing enthusiast for 30 years. He sails his Sabre 38 “Sachem” and an Etchell’s from the Shelter Island Yacht Club. He has written about sailing and racing for Soundings, Scuttlebut and The Shelter Island Reporter.com.

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Enterprise: Is this restored 12 Metre the best yacht to never contest the America’s Cup?

• November 19, 2019

Enterprise is a 1977 S&S-designed 12 Metre, originally built to defend the America’s Cup, and fully restored in time for this year’s 12 Metre World Championships in Rhode Island. Dave Powlison reports

Among the 21 elegant Twelves lining the docks at Rhode Island’s Fort Adams for this summer’s 12 Metre World Championship, sat a yacht that for many was a huge disappointment. Enterprise , built for the 1977 America’s Cup , had everything going for her, but never got the invitation to the Cup she seemed destined to receive. Today, she’s arguably the best set-up 12 Metre in the world.

Designed by Olin Stephens and David Pedrick at Sparkman & Stephens, and built of aluminium at the Minneford Yacht Yard, Enterprise boasted a number of firsts. She was the first design to be tank-tested on a large scale, with a handful of models measuring roughly 7m each, in tanks designed for the aerospace and military industries.

Results from those tests suggested that over a typical 24-mile America’s Cup course in an average 10-knot wind, Enterprise would be a minute faster than her rivals.  Enterprise was also the first yacht to pioneer laminate sails, using plastic films to stabilise the more conventional Dacron. Her sails included the ‘garbage bag’, a light airs genoa that (in colour, at least) suggested its moniker.

Enterprise posted two race wins in the 2019 12 Metre World Championships. Photo: Ian Roman

The 1977 Challenger matches were a rematch of the 1974 Courageous v Intrepid rivalry between upstart west coaster Lowell North and eastern establishment sailor Ted Hood.

At North’s right hand was sailmaking wunderkind John Marshall, who would be a dominant presence in Cup competitions for years to come. Many of Enterprise ’s crew had cut their 12 Metre teeth on Intrepid ’s successful 1970 Cup defence. In fact, Intrepid was brought out of retirement and trucked to San Diego to spar with the new design.

Yet it was Courageous , a 1974 design, that secured the spot to defend the Cup ( Courageous successfully saw off Alan Bond’s Australia in the Cup match). So what went wrong for Enterprise ? Anyone who knows the boat well won’t hesitate to respond. “ Enterprise had a foretriangle dimension that was about three feet shorter than what was conventional,” Marshall explained to me recently.

Enterprise hull is now painted battleship grey – the original colour was white

Most 12s have a 24ft foretriangle, give or take a bit. Enterprise ’s was 21ft. “Computer predictions that evaluated flow over surfaces suggested this would give us an edge,” Marshall recalled. But when it came to tacking, getting the stiff headsails quickly across was a challenge, as there was now 3ft more sail that had to pass around the front of the mast.

“The jib didn’t fill quite as quickly, and we didn’t accelerate quite as quickly coming out of tacks,” Marshall adds. In the early challenger races, Enterprise performed well. But as the summer progressed, Courageous got distinctly better. “Once the difference got down to being pretty small, and the boats were always close together, tacking performance became much more important.”

Consider that it wasn’t unheard of for 12 Metres to do over 50 tacks on a four-mile beat, and it’s clear why the writing was on the wall.

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Back to her best

Fast-forward to 2019 and Enterprise is back in fighting form. After stints in the Med she had been donated to the US Merchant Marine Academy Sailing Foundation.

With the impetus of the forthcoming 2019 Worlds in Newport, a major refit was begun in earnest. Tommy Rich, from New England Boatworks, which carried out the refit, recalls: “The boat had been bastardised. They had put a flush deck on it and a bogus interior, and it was basically in a state of disrepair.”

The refit was done over roughly two years, and in that time virtually everything on the boat was upgraded or replaced, except the hull and framework.

The hull structure is one of the few parts of the boat that remains original

Rich explains: “S&S, along with David Pedrick, designed a new keel. The boat got a more modern spade rudder to replace the old, barn-door type, and a more modern deck. That included new cockpits and a spinnaker pole trough – basically all the working deck – as well as a new chainplate structure.”

The boat received a new rig: an aluminium mast, as per the class rules, but with carbon used everywhere else, as well as all-new Harken hydraulics. And, of course, the ‘J’ foretriangle dimension is at 24ft once again.

For this level of investment in time and money, there was just one goal: to win the World Championship. Enterprise was chartered by Clay Deutsch for the summer, but the race started even before she had hit the water. “The challenge for us has been the calendar,” says Deutsch. “We didn’t have the boat in a position to go sailing until the end of May. And it’s pretty humbling how long it takes to get these boats dialed in.”

Double wheels: outer one for steering; inner one for trim tab control

Nevertheless, her pedigree showed quickly. In her first competition in Newport this summer, Enterprise posted a pair of 1sts in the two final races. In the 2019 World Championship in Newport she finished a solid 2nd overall in the Modern Division to the more seasoned Challenge XII .

For Deutsch, the 12 Metre seed was planted long ago. “When I was a kid, while other kids had baseball and football cards, I had an Intrepid scrapbook, and I have always fantasised about 12 Metres. Then, out of the blue this past winter, North Sails’ Mike Toppa came to me with, ‘What about Enterprise ?’ It was the furthest thing from my mind, and I just figured we wouldn’t be there.”

But Deutsch was persuaded, and work shifted into a frenzied pitch at New England Boatworks. “I remember when I first looked at it, and it was in a million pieces, and I said: ‘I’m not a professional, but my amateur opinion is that this boat has no chance of being ready.’

Asymmetric foredeck hatches – the port hatch has a roller on the aft side for spinnaker take downs

“But Ben Quatromoni, the project manager, and his team jumped on it, working around the clock, and we made it to the starting line.” Today Enterprise ’s decks today are remarkably spartan for a 12 Metre: it’s 1977 meets 2019 technology, with lots of carbon. “The boat setup is complicated,” says Quatromoni, “but it’s very user-friendly.”

The port foredeck hatch has a roller on the aft side, TP52 -style, for the string take down spinnaker system. Once around the roller, the chute is pulled through a Dacron tube that runs to the stern. With the grinders working in unison, the sail disappears in five seconds.

Control lines run through custom-made carbon ‘trumpets’, allowing them move effortlessly out of sight. Carbon reels take up the halyards. These are ratchet system reels, where one control line spins the reel, bringing the halyard in, and another control line releases it. Unlike those reels, the spinnaker take-down reel is powered off the pedestals.

The spinnaker take down bag; the spinnaker comes down through the forward deck hatch and is pulled through this long Dacron bag

The aluminium cockpit has been lowered to get the grinders down and allow the boom to just avoid grazing the deck when fully sheeted in. But the boom is low. “Man, is it crowded,” says Deutsch. “I can barely fit under the boom – when we’re tacking, I’m literally down on all fours.”

The port and starboard jib trimmer pits have hydraulic controls for the jib tack and jib leads, which is standard for the Twelves. As on most 12 Metres, below decks is anything but simple.

The 150ft of mainsheet runs from the traveller car up into the boom, forward to the gooseneck, below deck, then aft to a turning block where it goes up into the mainsheet pod. Rather than using a winch for the traveller, the car is controlled by a Harken magic wheel below decks, with a 17:1 purchase.

With so many hydraulic systems, continual pumping is required to keep them pressurised, and the aft cockpit pedestal is set up to run a rotary pump, mounted below, for that purpose. For trimmers, there’s no downtime. Once they’ve finished trimming, it’s back to pumping to keep the hydraulics powered up.

The workmanship on many of the systems is truly extraordinary. The turning blocks for the spinnaker sheet and guy are so inconspicuous as to be barely noticeable. The traveller control line looks as if it has been simply laid on deck.  Enterprise ’s original white hull is now battleship grey. Coupled with black spars, the effect is stunning.

Specification

LOA: 20.15m (66ft 1in) LWL : 13.41m (44ft 0in) Beam: 3.78m   ( 12ft 5in) Draught: 3.78m   ( 12ft 5in) Displacement: 25.7 tonnes Sail area: 168m 2  (1,808ft 2 ) Design: Sparkman & Stephens Year: 1977 Builder: Minneford Yacht Yard, Inc.

About the author

Dave Powlison has been writing about sailing since the late 1970s and is currently an editor-at-large for Sailing World magazine. When not writing, he races Etchells and an RS Aeros in Vermont, USA.

First published in the November 2019 edition of Yachting World.

12 METRE RACING

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

EXPERIENCE THE CARIBBEAN'S ULTIMATE SAILING ADVENTURE

Become part of the crew as you actively take part in manning an authentic sailing yacht that once competed in the prestigious America’s Cup.

VOTED THE #1 SHORE EXCURSION IN THE CARIBBEAN FOR 15 YEARS AND #3  TOP 10 CARIBBEAN ATTRACTION BY USA TODAY  

THE EXPERIENCE

Choose to actively participate – grinding winches, trimming sails, punching a stopwatch – or you can sit back and enjoy the invigorating ride! The choice is yours.

Join our crew and participate in a competitive, head-to-head race between authentic America’s Cup race boats. The most unique and immersive experience in the Carribbean, guaranteed to leave you breathless, exhilarated and feeling like a sailing pro!

Our  legendary 12 Metre Class race boats  are the thoroughbreds of the racing world. Past America’s Cup winners and contenders, each vessel is the culmination of multi-million dollar efforts and years of testing to achieve maximum speed and agility.

ST. MAARTEN 12 METRE RACING

St. Maarten Twelve Metre Racing is a physically and culturally immersive, historic sailing experience that allows our guests to compete against one another as integral working members of the crew.

Except for some guest safety enhancements, all boats in the 12 Metre fleet have been exquisitely maintained in original form. They boast the same caliber of performance and racing experience that they delivered in the 1987 America’s Cup.

Fantastic experience. The crew was friendly and informative, and the competition quite exhilarating.

Boris Pelakh

If you sail it is an experience not to be missed. All of the crew and staff are amazing - I can't praise or recommend them enough!

Eric Bailey

I had a blast racing on Stars and Stripes when I visited St. Martin in 2005. I still have my now 17 year old 12 Metre T shirt!

Craig Ewing

HISTORIC 12-METRE TO BE RESTORED

Spotted on the courtyard of Robbe & Berking Classics; Gretel, a piece of America’s Cup history.

Spotted on the courtyard of Robbe & Berking Classics; Gretel , a piece of America’s Cup history. This legendary 12-metre yacht has had a long journey so far, from Australia via the United States and Italy to Flensburg. In 1962 she was the boat of the Australian challenger, Sir Frank Packer, but she was sailed by Jock Sturrock and was the faster boat. Despite this, the American yacht, Weatherly, with Bus Moosbacher at the helm, won in the end. One race was actually won by Gretel and the others were exceptionally tight. This was the first challenge that could actually have been successful. Gretel is named after the wife of Frank Packer, who once again challenged with Gretel II in 1970.

The first Australian 12-metre ever, Gretel was full of innovative ideas, her designer Alan Payne also carried out tank testing at the Stevens Institute in New York. As she was so superior, the Americans changed the rules after this Cup so that all future challengers would be barred from American design or build technology. After the America’s Cup regatta of 1962, Gretel served as trial horse for several following Cup challenges. Later she was sold to Europe and sailed many years in Italy and it was here that she was found by Robbe & Berking Classics and transported to Flensburg for a complete restoration.

About Gretel :

Length 21.16 m; Width 3.58 m; Draft 2.67 m; Weight 26.7 tons; Sail area 166.9 sqm. Designed by Alan Payne, built of wood on steel frames.

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What Constitutes 12‐Meter Boat Takes Long, Windy Explanation; Yacht Design Arrived at by a Complex Formula of Many Measurements That Balance and Counterbalance

To the question, “What is at 12‐Meter?” the most reasonable answer is, “Sit down for a couple of hours with an experienced naval architect and let him try to explain it.”

In theory, a 12‐Meter yacht could be as small as a canoe or as large as a clipper ship. The only trouble is, the canoe would have to carry so much sail it would capsize, while the clipper ship's sail would be the size of a handkerchief.

This is because of the balances and counterbalances created by the rule governing the design of 12‐Meters. As a result, the boats involved in the America's Cup competition work out to about 69 feet in length, with sail areas of about 2,000 square feet.

The term “12‐Meter,” of course, does not designate a single measurement, such as over‐all length. Instead, the figure that adds to 12 meters is arrived at through a complex formula of many measurements: a yacht's actual sailing length, girth, freeboard, overhangs and the crown of the deck, as well as such basic factors as length on the water and over beam, draft, sail area and displacement.

The 12‐Meter yachts are built to the International Rule of Measurement, originated about 60 years ago. Their construction is governed by standards drawn up by Lloyd's of London to insure sound, seaworthy yachts. They impose upon the naval architect the problem of designing a yacht whose hull is as light as possible yet sturdy enough to withstand strong winds and high seas.

This creates the balances and counterbalances. For example, extremes of length must be paid, for by alterations in the sail, area. A large fore triangle for bigger headsails must be balanced by a reduction in the size of the mainsail.

In effect, the designers are placed in a straitjacket, yet it is a benign straitjacket. It permits free play to creative talent. It's like giving an artist a lump of clay of specific volume with general instructions on what he must produce in size and shape, but with the final perfection of form and line left to his imagination.

Basically the rule should produce boats close enough in performance so that the men on deck will be the deciding factor between victory and defeat. But in practive the rule has its exceptions. as witness Sceptre, the beaten British challenger of six years ago. Tank tests indicated that she should be a fast boat, but they were misleading. The imponderables of crews, weather and sails cannot be tested in a tank. Sceptre was an outstanding failure.

So the naval architect can never be sure that he is producing the best and fastest boat under the rule.

Measurement rules of one kind or another have played a part in all the Cup races except the one that the schooner America won in 1851. They have not always been clear. From 1857 to 1881 three radically different rules were in force and there was endless squabbling over which was the one to use.

In 1927 the New York Yacht Club adopted a scantling rule requiring yachts to conform to Lloyd's “rules for the construction of yachts.” It led to strong, seaworthy yachts, of which the current mediums for Cup competition are the smallest.

Following Lloyd's standards meant that no longer could a flimsily built defender have an unfair advantage over a challenger that had to cross an ocean on her own bottom. The ocean‐crossing provision was dropped with the introduction of the 12‐Meters. They're small enough to be shipped across on a freighter's deck.

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Columbia, US-16

Built in 1958 according to the International Third Rule.

1958-1962: Built for the 17th America’s Cup campaign at a cost of $300,000, her design was a development of Vim. She was slightly longer on the waterline with reduced sail area, but this was compensated by the efficiency of newer sails (later Dacron) and the reduced thickness (resistance) of her keel. Briggs Cunnigham skippered her to victory at the Defender Trials over Weatherly , Easterner and Vim and ultimately to a 4-0 win over Sceptre for the America’s Cup. In 1960 she was sold to Paul Shields, who altered her keel, she participated in the Defender Trials for the 1962 America’s Cup.

1964-1975: Columbia was purchased by Thomas Patrick Dougan of Southampton, NY and Newport Beach. In 1966 her hull was altered, and although she performed well, she was dominated by Intrepid in the Defender Trials that year. In 1967 she won the Caritas Cup (NYYC) and the Lipton Memorial Trophy. In 1975 she was purchased by the Swedish Syndicate as a trial horse to Sverige .

1976-2000: Columbia was purchased by Pelle Petterson who modified her and sold her on to Xavier Rougert-Luchaire who used her as the trial horse to Lionheart in 1979. Her homeport was Cannes, France until 2000 when she was brought “home” to Newport by Paul Gardener and Bill Collins.

Owned by Alain Hanover

Purchased by Kevin Hegarty, 12mR Yacht Charters and was rebuilt at New England Boat Works (Portsmouth,RI) with a new keel designed by David Pedrick.

2019:  Columbia (US-16) won the Traditional Division of the 2019 12mR World Championship at Newport, RI

Jump to Twelve Metre Yacht Club, Newport Station Fleet page for Columbia (US-16)