Message from the Commodore
James Gubelmann
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Dear 12mR Friends,
When I was selected as Commodore of the 12 Metre Yacht Club in 2014, the mission before me seemed monumental, but one that I was determined to achieve:
to bring together people and resources in order to reinvigorate the 12 Metre Americas' fleet.
At that time our Newport racing fleet had seriously dwindled -- we had just six boats on the starting line at the North American Championship and there were as many Twelves on the hard as in the water that season. Although just one U.S. team raced at the 2014 World Championship in Barcelona, I attended to gain insight into the Class as a whole-- what I returned with was inspiration! By setting a goal to host a spectacular 12mR World Championship in Newport, we might motivate more Twelves to return to the racecourse by 2019.
Throughout five years of preparation, we saw seven 12mRs rejuvenated and returned to the water, while others were updated to top racing form. The active Modern division more than doubled in size from 3 to 8 boats! Credit for this goes to the existing and new 12mR owners who share our love of the yachts and vision for the future of the Class.
Together with our 12MYC Board, we identified several key elements that would support the development of the fleet and the 2019 World Championship. Among them were communication and, in keeping with our mission, education. With the assistance of contributors, we created the 12MYC E-Newsletter as the voice of the Americas fleet-- and today with more than 1100 subscribers that voice is heard throughout the 12mR world. As our regular readers know, our content has included "everything 12" --history, technical features, race reporting, restoration projects, photos, social events and most importantly-- updates on planning for the 2019 Newport Worlds. Our 12MYC.org website became the repository for all of this content along with pages for each Newport fleet 12, available crew, gear listings, 12s for sale and more.
Now, looking back on our successful 2019 12mR season highlighted by the spectacular World Championship I must acknowledge the 12MYC Board who gave of their hearts and souls to bring our mission to life and make our goals a reality. It is with great pride that I thank each of them for all that we have been able to achieve together:
Vice Commodore, Chandler Hovey
Treasurer, Jamie Hilton
Secretary, Carol Swift
Marketing, Chris Meigher
12MYC Club Manager, Jeannie Sullivan
Communications, SallyAnne Santos
ITMA President, Dyer Jones
ITMA Treasurer, Dr. Robin Wallace
ITMA VP Americas' Fleet, Peter Gerard
Legal, Richard Sayer
12MYC Dinner Dance, Kate Gubelmann
Jimmy Gubelmann
Commodore, 12MYC Newport
and your 12MYC Newport Station Friends
p.s.
Please consider joining or renewing your 12MYC Annual Membership; with your help, we'll continue to support the 12mR Class!
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2019 12 Metre Yacht Club Annual Dinner: Thursday, August 19
Don't miss this very special evening to cap a spectacular season!
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Click here for Dinner Reservations TODAY, Space is Limited!
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The 12MYC Needs Your Support:
Please Renew Your Membership or Join Now
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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 MYC 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 $75
All 12MYC annual memberships now coincide with calendar year (January - December).
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Courageous Wins Inaugural Waypoints Series
A Connection for Historic 12 Metres Around the Globe
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| Top Row: Waypoints Series Perpetual Trophy (Photo Credit: SallyAnne Santos); Courageous syndicate and crew member Ralph Isham (middle) accepts the Waypoints Series vintage keeper trophy at the 2019 12 Metre Worlds (Photo Credit Ian Roman). Second Row: The crew of Courageous in the cockpit and on the deck (Photo Credit: Onne van der Wal) |
Introduced in 2017 to help build 12 Metre competition in the Northern Europe, Southern Europe and Americas fleets, the WAYPOINTS Series tallied scores posted by 40 12 Metres from nine countries in 28 regattas held in five countries over a period of three years. It awarded points for both participation and performance and the victor's crown to the team that had accumulated the greatest number of points by the end of the World Championship. As for the secondary focus of the WAYPOINTS Series - to further the recognition of a global collection of heritage 12 Metres and the owners who are working to preserve their histories - it didn't hurt that
Courageous is perhaps the most famous 12 Metre in the universe...
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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2019 12mR Worlds "Best Of" Photo Galleries
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Click either image to view these galleries at full size:
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2019 12 Metre World Championship Newport Harbor Parade VIDEO by Quest Magazine
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2019 12mR Worlds "Best Of" Press Coverage
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Below are just a few representative features and photo galleries, enjoy!
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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Weatherly Wins The Opera House Cup
by Gary Jobson
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As each classic wooden yacht passes Brant Point Lighthouse at the entrance of Nantucket's Great Harbor a large crowd of spectators and a fleet of Rainbows watch with intense interest. Every one of the racing yachts has a unique story. For the crews, it's an uplifting moment as countless pictures are snapped and friendly cheers erupt. This was the scene aboard the 1958 built, successful America's Cup defender,
Weatherly (US-17) on Sunday morning, August 18, 2019. A total of 55 beautiful yachts were headed to sea for the start of the 47th running of The Opera House Cup.
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Weatherly sailing downwind at the 2019 Opera House Cup, Nantucket, MA.
(Photo Courtesy: Karen Ryan Photography) |
Many great yachts including;
Gleam (US-11),
Black Watch,
Owl,
Valiant (US-24),
Heritage (US-23),
American Eagle (US-21),
Brilliant,
Escapade,
Fortune, and
High Cotton have won this prestigious trophy.
Weatherly was a co-winner with
Heritage in 2001, which seemed like ancient history to
Weatherly's owner, George Hill, and skipper Elliot Gewirtz. I was on board as tactician along with 12 other enthusiastic crew. The anticipation around the waterfront was high, but there was a problem -- no wind. This is a rare issue off Nantucket. Only once (in 1988) was a race cancelled due to a lack of wind. Principal Race Officer, Hank Stuart, kept the competitors informed about the ongoing delay. After nearly two hours the wind seemed to fill from the southwest and Stuart commenced the starting sequences for the six classes of yachts.
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Weatherly's 2019 Opera House Cup winning skipper Elliot Gewirtz and owner George Hill. (Photo Courtesy: George Hill)
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The wind was light for the first four classes, and they made little progress on the three-leg course. Only three 12 Metres were in Class 3.
Weatherly had a one-boat length lead over Valiant skippered by Gary Gregory with tactician, Robbie Doyle. And then a miracle took place...
continue reading
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Onawa (US-6) placed third at the
Opera House Cup to complete a 12mR podium sweep--
Valiant (US-24) finished second. (Photo: US-6 crossing finish line at 2019 12mR Worlds, SallyAnne Santos)
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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Americas Fleet Update: by Peter Gerard
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2019 has been a spectacular year for the 12 Metres in the U.S.
As early as May, 12 Metres from around the world began to converge on Newport in anticipation of the 2019 12 Metre World Championship hosted by the Ida Lewis Yacht Club. By the time of NYYC's Annual Regatta in mid-June, most of the boats were in racing form and working on fine tuning their already competitive boats and team.
The Newport Trophy Regatta, hosted by Ida Lewis YC and the 12mR Pre-Worlds, hosted by Sail Newport capped off an intensive preparatory season. And by the time the owners and skippers gathered for the first social event of the Worlds, 22 12 Metre boats and crew, representing the largest gathering of these iconic yachts in U.S. history, were ready to vie for the most competitive World Championship since the America's Cup Jubilee in Cowes in 2001.
Teams from six (6) countries, including numerous Olympic and World champions stood ready to compete for the four World Championship trophies. And with 9 races scheduled over 5 days, the selection process promised to be a true test of both crews and boats.
To support these efforts the Ida Lewis YC (led by Commodore Dan Faria) turned out a volunteer team of more than 90 persons, including a first rate race committee organized by RC Chair Bill O'Hanley and lead by Texas PRO Mark Foster. Thereby insuring that the Regatta would go forward without a hitch.
And while the on the water activities were paramount, no regatta can be a success without awesome parties - and the 2019 12mR Worlds was no exception. The Owners' Party at Ida Lewis set a high bar for camaraderie and food and fun. The Welcome Reception for all the teams hosted by Gurney's Marina and Resort and held at their spectacular facility right on Narragansett Bay moved the bar up numerous notches (particularly when Mother Nature and the Newport Bridge put on a sunset show all will remember). Wednesday after racing the crews were treated to a smorgasbord party hosted by members of the Northern European 12mR fleet that continued the high standard.
However, the event that put the 12mR Worlds over the top was the stellar 12MYC Dinner-Dance at Marble House hosted by Kate Gubelmann and her very able committee. It was a party (as we say in Texas) 'not seen in these parts" since the old America's Cup Balls. A truly memorable event.
The best thing about the 2019 Worlds was that is was a sailors' regatta - where the on the water and off the water activities were all focused on the teams and the racing. And best of all, the regatta results bear that out. At the grand finale party, the Awards Ceremony at IYRS on Saturday, July 13th the following winners were announced:
2019 World Champions
Grand Prix Division: Legacy (KZ-5) - Thomas Andersin, Denmark
Modern Division: Challenge XII (KA-10) - Jack & Lisa LeFort, USA
Traditional Division: Columbia (US-16) - Tony Chuirco and Kevin Hegarty, USA
Vintage Division: Nyala (US-12) - Patricio Bertelli, Italy
2017-2019 Road to the Worlds Waypoints Champion
Courageous (US-26) - Ralph Isham, Alex Auersperg, Steve Glascock and Ward Marsh, USA
And all the teams, volunteers and supporters who helped to make the 2019 12mR World Championship Regatta one of the best ever.
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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2019 North American Championship Schedule
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Thursday, 9/19
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1830
1900
2000
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Skipper's Meeting ~ 12MYC / CCH
Cocktails
12MYC Annual Dinner ~ purchase tickets
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Friday, 9/20
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0900
1055
1100
1830
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Rendezvous signal announced on VHF Ch 79A
Course Signals
First Warning Signal
Team Gathering and Cocktail Reception at Ida Lewis Yacht Club
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Saturday, 9/21
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0900
1055
1100
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Rendezvous signal announced on VHF Ch 79A
Course Signals
First Warning Signal
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Sunday, 9/22
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0900
1055
1100
1630
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Rendezvous signal announced on VHF Ch 79A
Course Signals
First Warning Signal
Awards and light fare at Ida Lewis Yacht Club
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Helsinki, Finland to Host 2020 12 Metre World Championship
A Historic Gathering of the 12mR Fleet is Expected
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Blue Marlin racing at the 2019 12 Metre Worlds (photo by: Chris Tucker) |
HELSINKI (September 3, 2019) - After a phenomenal 12 Metre World Championship in Newport, RI (USA), the NJK yacht club in Helsinki and the
International Twelve Metre Association (ITMA) are moving at full speed to organize the next 12mR Worlds in Helsinki from August 16-23, 2020.
Approximately 15-20 12mR yachts raced by teams from a dozen countries are expected to compete. The European vintage fleet will be well represented and the organizers have high hopes for representatives for Modern and Grand Prix division boats well.
Blue Marlin (FIN-1) and the 2017 European champion
Wings (K-15) raced by a Danish-Finnish syndicate, will both sail under the flag of the event host NJK- the oldest yacht club in Finland, founded in 1863.
It has been more than 30 years since the memorable 1988 12mR Worlds at Luleå...
continue reading
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2019 America's Fleet Results
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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The America's Cup exhibit at Robbe & Berking's Yachting Heritage Centre
"The history of the oldest and one of the most fascinating trophies in sports."
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 With generous loans and help from our lenders and friends Prada, the BMW Group, Bill Lynn and the Herreshoff Marine Museum/ America´s Cup Hall of Fame, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Emirates Team New Zealand, Challenger of Record ( COR ) 36, Elizabeth Meyer, Bruno Troublé, Jacques Taglang, Eric Hall, Arthur Lee, Sir Michael Fay, John Lammerts van Bueren, Thorsten Conradi, Russel Green, Larry Keating, Bill Koch, Henk Buitenhuis and many others the Robbe & Berking Yachting Heritage Centre is able to present exhibits, images and films of which many have never been accessible to the public before. Next to many other exhibits you will find one of the six copies of the Auld Mug itself and a 1:6 scale model of
Reliance made by the Herreshoff Marine Museum. With a sail area of 1.500 m2
Reliance was by far the largest-ever America´s Cup yacht.
Click to read the Autumn issue of Robbe & Berking's Goose magazine with exhibit photos and details.
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After several inquires from eager sailors AND in view of 12s returning to the racing fleet that will need crew...
We are continuing to build our online
CREW LIST for the convenience of our Members! If you are a SAILOR looking for opportunities to crew on 12mRs, visit our
CREW SIGN-UP page, create a Screen ID and complete a quick racing experience profile.
Attn: Owners, Captains & Project Managers: We currently have
19 crew candidate listings posted on our website. Each profile displays credentials, experience, availability and contact information. Eleven candidates indicate 12mR racing experience! Click through, perhaps you'll find your next crew MVP
here.
If you are a 12mR OWNER or CREW MANAGER, book mark our
CREW LIST page for your future reference.
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SUPPORT 12MYC, ADVERTISE WITH US
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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 of our discriminating subscribers,
please contact us for our reasonable rates and advertising options.
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OFFICIAL 12MYC GEAR, GET IT HERE:
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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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Do you have extra 12mR gear gathering dust in a container? Would you like to sell or lend it to another 12mR program just getting underway?
or
Is your 12mR program in need of practice gear?
Based on your responses, we will set-up a webpage at 12MYC.org to list pre-owned 12mR gear wanted or available in the Newport area.
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