Message from the Commodore
James Gubelmann
In September, we had the best North American Championship we have had in 10 years-- the market crash of 2008 left a dark cloud over our fleet, but no more!
Our Annual 12MYC Dinner was sold out, attended by more than one hundred sailors, family and friends who enjoyed cocktails and dinner at David Ray's Clarke Cooke House. After dinner,
New Zealand (KZ-3) owner Gunther Buerman shared how he put together his 12 and his talented, dedicated team.
In my opinion, Gunther has put together one of the best 12mR racing programs since the Jubilee.
 Next, the 2016 Ted Turner Trophy was awarded to Dennis Williams for his contributions to the Class both on and off the water. In the past 8 years, Dennis has brilliantly campaigned
Victory '83 (K-22), restored
Defender (US-33) so that she may rejoin the fleet and purchased US-61 to preserve rare and hard-to-find 12mR parts.
Thank you Dennis for all that you have done to support our fleet, Ted Turner is proud of your accomplishments!
We saw extremely competitive racing at the North Americans this year, with 8 races sailed over 3 days in 14-18 knots of breeze. The winners in both the Modern and Traditional fleets could only be determined after the final race was scored. Harry Graves made great efforts to return
 Lionheart (K-18) to Newport just in time for the Championship. Newly returned to racing, he graciously decided to "race-up" one division (
Lionheart is a Modern, but raced this regatta with the Gran Prix group) so that his yacht would not impede the highly competitive Moderns in the last races of their season. Racing a Modern boat in the Gran Prix fleet is extremely challenging, but she got faster and faster and more competitive with each race. "That is one fast boat", said veteran Duby Joslin.
Welcome back to your fleet Harry!
Concurrently with our North Americans, 12s were racing at the Les Voiles de St. Tropez in the Mediterranean.
France I (F-1) owner, Bruno Bich sent along the photo below of
France I (F-1),
Chancegger (F-4) and
Sovereign (K-12), letting us know that F-1 and F-4 are already committed and he hopes that K-12 will come along to Newport in 2019 as well. The Baltic Fleet has also expressed great interest in our developing plans for the next 3 years.
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France I, Sovereign & Chancegger
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American Eagle, Weatherly & Columbia
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As awareness increases, excitement is building-- sailors from near and far are already gearing up to converge here in Newport at the 2019 12mR World Championship!
Sincerely,
Jimmy Gubelmann
Commodore, 12MYC Newport
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Message from the Fleet Captain, Peter Gerard
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Fall has finally come to New England, and the Newport 12 Metre fleet members are headed to their sheds. 2016 was good year, and the 2106 NA's saw nine boats on the line.
2017 is already looking good. In addition to
Lionheart (who showed up for the first time in a number of years), we are expecting
Nefertiti back on the starting line. According to the
Victory 83 team,
Defender could be making its debut this coming spring. In addition, it is very possible that
Freedom (US 30) will be back in the racing fleet. And finally,
Easterner is in the middle of a refit, and could well make it to the starting line some time in 2017.
If all this works out as planned, we could be looking at a 12 to 13 boat 2017 North American Championship. Not bad for the first year of the ROAD TO THE 2019 WORLDS. And as we move down that ROAD, there are a number of 12s that are available for purchase or charter. These include
Challenge 12 and
Enterprise. If you have interest, please
contact us.
Have a great winter and a happy holiday season.
The 12 Metre Americas Fleet-- PAG
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Lock Up Your Mothers, Hide the Booze... by Paul Buttrose
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"THEY" MAY BE RETURNING TO NEWPORT!
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| Click the Kangaroo to hear Australia II Tribute Song |
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When owners and crew of 12 Metres gather at regattas or the 12 Metre Yacht Club at the Clarke Cooke House, it does not take long for a story to surface about America's Cup campaigns. Hardly surprising considering a number of veterans from those campaigns circa 1970-87 are still sailing 12s.
As with most sports- it's all about the people. Stories are less about tacking duels off Brenton Reef and more about the characters involved in designing, building and sailing the 12s. Shore-side supporters, particularly those from 'Down Under' who made it to Newport in 1983 add even more color to an already colorful story. Similarly, the 2001 World Championship held in conjunction with the 150th 'Jubilee' off Cowes attracted thirty-six Twelve Metres and at least several hundred of those same characters.
In 2019 the 12 Metre World Championship is scheduled to be held in Newport, hosted by the New York Yacht Club in conjunction with a regatta celebrating the Club's 175th Anniversary. As plans for that celebration get underway in New York and Newport,
another plan is being hatched 10,500 miles away in Melbourne, Australia...
read more.
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Lionheart Returns to Race in Newport, by Harry H. Graves
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Recently, Lionheart (K-18) owner, Harry Graves' yeoman efforts resulted in the welcome return of his K-18 to racing at the 2016 12mR North American Championship. His inspiring perseverance, "against all odds" is indicative of the momentum gathering in anticipation of the 2019 World Championship in Newport. Commodore Gubelmann asked Harry to share his recent "journey" with us...
 First and foremost, a big hearty "thank you" to the Newport 12 Metre fleet for their welcome, kindness, and support of Team Lionheart (K18) as we returned to competition in Newport for the 2016 North American Championship after a decade hiatus. Special mention goes to Jimmy Gubelmann, Commodore of the 12MYC who consistently paved the way for our early participation at whatever level would be possible. In addition, a great thank you to Dennis Williams, Victory 83 (K-22) owner who had the foresight to invite me for a day of racing at the 2015 North Americans-- that "set the hook" for our 2016 participation.
Having raced in the glorious "once in a lifetime" America's Cup Jubilee in Cowes, Team Lionheart (K18) recognizes that the 2019 12 Metre World Championship at New York Yacht Club's 175th anniversary celebration in Newport has all the markings of another "once in a lifetime" event. To work back into form, it was deemed important to participate in the 2016 North Americans as a first step and then work toward more competition in the next 3 years leading to The Worlds. While this seemed like a simple enough objective, there were many moments where it really would have been much easier to take the easy route and wait until next year. However, we persevered and against all odds did manage to participate in all races of the Championship and really enjoyed it all. The thrill of racing 12mR America's Cup boats in Newport is truly exciting, historic, and competitive and it is a great honor to be a part of it! We had the added challenge of re-positioning the boat from Greenwich... read more
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Show Your Club Pride with Official 12MYC Gear
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Order Now For Holiday Gifts - Supplies Are Limited!
BURGEES: FADE-RESISTANT 12" X 18" DOUBLE-FACED APPLIQUE
NECKTIES: 100% SILK w/ WOVEN DESIGN
BOTH MADE IN USA
FOR SALE TO MEMBERS ONLY
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2016 12 Metre Yacht Club Annual Dinner
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12 Metre Yacht Club Membership
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Your annual membership helps us to continue our mission...
To provide and facilitate discussion and a social environment for 12 Metre owners and others interested in the history of the 12 Metre Class and encourage continued involvement in preserving, restoring and racing 12 Metre yachts in the Newport area.
Benefits of Membership of the 12 Metre Yacht Club Newport Station:
- Unmatched fellowship of the 12 Metre Community
- Invitations to all 12 Metre YC Social & Educational Events
- Subscription to 12 Metre YC E-Newsletter
- Access to IYRS Research Library / Twelve Metre Collection
- Access to Herreshoff Marine Museum America's Cup Hall of Fame
- Preferred reservations at 12 Metre YC Room at Clarke Cooke House
- Exclusive opportunity to advertise in 12 Metre YC E-Newsletter (this publication)
One Year Individual Membership $50
All 12MYC annual memberships now coincide with calendar year (January - December).
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"Metrefest 2017" Update by Jamie Hilton
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Save The Date:
Metrefest
will be held in conjunction with the 2017 New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta from June 9 - 11.
As we have much in common with our fellow International Rule boat sailors, we are planning social events and docking that will bring us all together in Newport next summer while racing at New York Yacht Club's 163rd Annual Regatta.
We currently anticipate a strong turnout of 6mRs and 2.4mRs to join our growing fleet of 12s and I have recently learned of interest among a number of Canadian 8mR teams as well.
While logistics and details are still being refined, we will continue to provide updates in the months ahead. Please
contact me if you are able to volunteer to assist us with the organization of these events. --JH
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Wire Sheets by Stephen Lirakis
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Gerry Driscoll & Steve Lirakis, Intrepid, 1978
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In 1978, 2-time defender
Intrepid (US-22) was owned by Baron Bich. Gerry Driscoll was keen to charter her, provided that he could raise the funds for a campaign; his sights set on a 3-peat. Meanwhile, he sailed
Intrepid as a trial horse to
France III. (In 100 starts,
France III reached the first mark ahead of Intrepid only once.)
As crew boss, I had more than 30 sailors try out for crew
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photos: (c) Paul J. Mello, Outside Images
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spots over two summers. I was also responsible for the maintenance and tuning of the rig.At this time rigging was made with galvanized wire, which was hard on everything including the winch drums and crew. And in order to economize, I tried to make the runner tails last as long as possible, they typically lasted just 4 (sailing) days. On one occasion, during day 5 or 6 of use on a set, and just after a tack...
read more.
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Would you like to share your 12 Metre photos and experiences with your fellow 12MYC members on our website and here in our e-newsletter as Stephen has done above?
Please contact us if you'd like to be a Content Contributor. We hope to hear from you soon!
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Generous Supporters of the 12MYC
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Support the 12 Metre YC, Advertise Your Business Here
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This 12 Metre Yacht Club E-Newsletter is proud to have a very sophisticated readership comprised of yacht owners, sailors, entrepreneurs and community leaders among others. If you would like to bring your business to the attention to our discriminating subscribers,
please contact us for our reasonable rates and advertising options.
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Americas Fleet 2016
Click
Event Names below to access online results.
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North Europe Fleet 2016
Click
Event Names below to access online results.
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Get in the Game... Charter a 12
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Put your team together and join us on the starting line!
Immerse yourself in Newport's
12 metre tradition for one race, a long-weekend or for a series of events throughout the season. You will enjoy exciting sailing on America's Cup yachts, the camaraderie of racing sailors and glamorous social events at the most prestigious yacht clubs in New England. The charter companies below offer expertly maintained yachts, top-knotch service and years of experience in customizing an unforgettable
12 metre sailing experience for you, your family, friends, colleagues or clients. Just click on any of the links below to learn more...
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The
12MYC is on YouTube
, subscribe to our channel to be the first to see new 12 Metre videos of interest! Do you have a video to share?
Contact us and we'll feature it on Channel 12.
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