Message from the Commodore
James Gubelmann
Happy Fall and Happy Halloween!
Two weeks ago we held the 12-Metre North American Championship in Narragansett Bay. Unfortunately, Mother Nature dealt us a blow and we were only able to complete 3 races. Day one was cancelled because of too much wind and day three was cancelled because of no wind. That is hurricane season for you! At least no one was hurt and there were no broken rigging pieces. A special thanks to Ida Lewis Yacht Club Race Committee and PRO Ron Hopkins for their ongoing support. Congratulations to division champions Weatherly, US-17 (Traditional); Challenge XII, KA-10 (Modern) andNew Zealand, KZ-3 (Grand Prix). More details here.
The incredible success story revolves around the fleet increase. Three new boats joined us in the water this year including Freedom, US-30, Defender, US-33 and Challenge XII, KA-10. We completed 4 successful Waypoints regattas as did the European Fleets and we can see boats trending towards victory in those series.
At the request of boat owners we held a special event this year in June. METREFEST Newport brought together several International Rule classes including 2.4mR, 6mR and 12mR. Jamie Hilton, 12MYC Treasurer conceived and developed this concept resulting in a hugely successful event. In recognition of this and his continued support of the 12mR Class, Jamie was named the 2017 Ted Turner Trophy recipient (more on this below). Another credit to our Class was the 8-page cover story on Newport's 12 Metre fleet in the July Issue of Quest magazine. Our fleet and efforts are becoming well known!
We are now seriously continuing the plans for the 2019 Worlds. That includes sponsorship, housing, events, dinners, and most importantly - racing venues.
I just want to mention one other thing that occurred this year at our annual dinner when Patrick Howaldt, ITMA Vice-President, North Europe let us know that his fleet is very excited about joining us in 2019 with as many as 12-15 boats. God Bless Momentum!
Jimmy Gubelmann
Commodore, 12MYC Newport
p.s. You will note above that links in
blue refer to our 12MYC website,
red links are to all other sites. Attn: Owners / Project Managers: 12MYC.org has a dedicated page for each 12 in our America's fleet
under the FLEET tab. If you would like to add information or photos to YOUR 12mR page,
please email us with the details
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Congratulations Jamie!
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Donated to the 12MYC by legendary 12mR yachtsman Ted Turner, this trophy is awarded annually to the person(s) who has made a noteworthy contribution to the 12mR Class on or off the water.
James (Jamie) Hilton, 12MYC Treasurer and accomplished metre yacht helmsman-tactician was awarded the Ted Turner Trophy by Commodore James (Jimmy) Gubelmann at the 2017 12mR North American Championship prize-giving held at Ida Lewis Yacht Club. In addition to his many accomplishments and support of the Class, he was recognized for his vision and execution of the inaugural METREFEST Newport.
For more on the Ted Turner Trophy and to view a gallery of previous winners click here.
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A Tale of Two Boats by Dennis Williams
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Victory 83 (K-22) and Courageous (US-26) cross gybes at 2016 12mR North American Championship. |
My fascination with 12 Metres began in the mid '70's in Marblehead (MA) when Courageous (US-26) and Independence (US-28) were preparing for the '77 America's Cup. Just standing on the deck of Courageous at the town landing was a thrill, knowing I'd never sail a 12mR... but it was okay to dream...
Fast forward 30 years. Roseanne and I were off for a week of cruising and en route from Nantucket to Edgartown (MA). As we rounded the northern tip of Chappaquiddick Island, we spotted a number of large boats racing around the buoys. Closer inspection revealed they were 12mRs. We watched the racing for a few minutes and then headed into the harbor. Later, we watched them raft up at the Edgartown Yacht Club. It was an impressive sight! In the morning, we decided that a closer look was in order. Uh oh.....the flame that was started in the '70's was starting to burn a little brighter. Perhaps we should buy a 12mR?
We started talking with Jim Gretzky about 12mRs. Roseanne and I had seen
Defender (US-33) many times as we drove past Cracker Boy Marina in Riviera Beach where she had been sitting on the
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| Defender (US-33) racing at the 2017 12mR North American Championship. |
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hard for many years. Jim had been the project designer for the boat when she was built back in '82, so she quickly moved to the top of the list. We looked at the boat, met the owner and tried hard to make a deal, but to no avail. That was the end of the
Defender story.... for then. Stay tuned, she makes another appearance later in this story.
Jim activated his 12mR network and another great boat popped up...
Victory 83 (K-22). She had been in a boatyard in Cogolin, France for several years. Roseanne, Jim and I packed our bags and headed to France to take a look. We asked Ian Howlett,
Victory's designer to meet us there. We found
Victory in the back of the yard, under a tree, filled with leaves, rudder and tab frozen hard to port and not looking very attractive. Ian felt she was sound and pronounced her to be "shockingly original!" After some very lengthy negotiations with the Italian owner, we made a deal. Getting the boat out of France turned out to be a bigger adventure than we expected. The Italian owner had "hidden"
Victory 83 in France and had not paid taxes.
She had never been registered, so documentation with the USCG was an issue, etc, etc, etc. There are enough stories to fill 3 articles, but in the end we prevailed. We sold the spars to Doug Peterson for use in
Gretel (KA-1) and the winches to the Italians so they could turn
Azzurra (I-4) into a museum piece. Next we cut off the rudder because we could not free it up and did not want to go in circles. Finally, we put her on a freighter that was diverted due to a major storm, and...
read more.
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12MYC ANNUAL DINNER SnApS
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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 $75
All 12MYC annual memberships now coincide with calendar year (January - December).
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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WINNING IN A SLOWER BOAT by Stephen Lirakis
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| Weatherly US-17, 1962 ~ Stephen Lirakis photo |
In the post-war era, after the first defense, the Americas Cup became a match race. As holder of the Cup, the advantage was with the Defender. During this era of 12mR AC racing, the New York Yacht Club successfully defended the Cup in boats that were clearly slower than their Challengers-- a credit to skippers and crews.
Weatherly, the 1962 Defender, helmed by Phil Rhodes, was almost certainly slower than
Gretel, the Challenger skippered by Alan Payne. It was the superior skill of the skipper and crew that won the Cup that year.
In 1964 and 1967, the winners had superior speed, but in 1970 all of the Defender candidates
Heritage (Charlie Morgan),
Valiant (Olin Stephens) and the re-designed
Intrepid (re-design by Britton Chance) were clearly slower than the Challenger skippered by Alan Payne. Even so,
Intrepid successfully defended against a likely faster Gretel II.-- SL
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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ROAD TO THE WORLDS, WAYPOINTS REGATTA STANDINGS
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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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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After several inquires from eager sailors AND in view of 12s returning to the racing fleet that will need crew...
We have started an online
CREW LIST "bulletin board" 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.
If you are a 12mR OWNER or CREW MANAGER, book mark our
CREW LIST page for your future reference.
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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Would you like to share your 12 Metre photos and experiences with your fellow 12MYC members on
our Club website
and here in our e-newsletter as Stephen and Dennis have 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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12mR NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP SnApS
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TRADITIONAL
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Weatherly (12US17), is a remarkable classic wooden yacht - an America's Cup winner, ocean racer, highly successful charter yacht, and frequent division winner in 12 Metre regattas
Weatherly is listed on the National Register of Historic Vessels. She is a capable coastal cruiser and potential winner in any classic sailing event that she enters. Through her successful charter career spanning three decades,
Weatherly has been not only financially self supporting, but continuously improved. Cosmetically she sparkles whether underway or at rest. Down below, her utilitarian but tastefully detailed interior exudes a remarkably warm feeling. Rustic coastal cruising is within her ability as is, while relatively minor alterations could provide for more extensive travel. Her race winning record continues. Victorious over her division in the recent 2017 12 Metre North American Championship held in Newport, RI, she is now offered for sale at a very reasonable price while at the top of her game.
learn more
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| TRADITIONAL |
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American Eagle (US-21), the iconic red 12 Metre helmed by Ted Turner, is on the market and looking to continue a long and storied racing and chartering career. This listing comes at the perfect time to begin organizing and executing a competitive campaign for the 2019 12 Metre Worlds; an event she won when it was last held in Newport in 2009. Her offering includes the opportunity to continue with a Syndicate Charter (with their own suit of racing sails) in place through to the 2019 World Championships.
American Eagle rates in the 12mR Traditional division.
learn more
The Victory - Defender Program is getting ready for the Road to the Worlds and we find ourselves over supplied with boats. Our goal is to build the Class and so we are offering 2 of our 3 boats for sale! Our program is committed to the Modern Division and so first up is the Grand Prix USA (US-61) for sale. Now this is where it gets interesting: We have two very competitive Moderns in Victory' 83 (K-22) and Defender (US-33). We do not have a preference on which boat we use moving forward and so we are offering both for sale and will keep the one that doesn't sell first! This is a unique opportunity to join the Modern Division with the heavy lifting already done. Victory '83 is complete and race ready - just add water! Defender is a work in progress that is most of the way there. Details on the three boats below:
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MODERN |
Victory '83 (K-22) was designed by Ian Howlett for the 1983 British America's Cup Challenge. She received a complete refit and modernization in 2008 including a new deck layout known as the Victory Job. Fully optimized under Appendix E. She is immaculate in every respect with a Sail Spars triple spreader rig, composite boom and 2 custom 12M poles. All systems are state of the art including 6 man input available to the main, primaries and pit. She has an extensive sail inventory featuring 2 carbon mains, one new at the 2016 NA's. World Champion in 1984 in a fleet stacked with AC teams. Current World Champion in the Modern Division. Numerous North American and Fleet Championships including 2016 - her last season in the water. Benched in 2017 so the Team could focus on Defender. learn more
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MODERN
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Defender (US-33) was designed for the 1983 Cup and originally campaigned by Top Blackhaller and Gary Jobson. Extensive updates including Appendix E optimization. Winner of the NYYC Around the Island Race in her first outing after the refit. Winner under IRC of the NYYC Queen's Cup - a dual purpose boat! Second in her first regatta, tied for second in the Newport Cup and 2nd in the North Americans with a 1, 2, MOB. She was designed for Newport and she has proven very fast in a variety of conditions. New composite high aspect rudder and steering system for the NA's. Full winch, hydraulic and instrumentation systems. Sail Spars triple spreader rig, composite boom and new 12M composite pole. New main and three headsails for the NA's.
learn more
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GRAND PRIX
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USA (US-61) is the canard boat sailed by Tom Blackhaller and Paul Cayard in the 1987 America's Cup Trials. Refit in 2000 for the America's Cup Jubilee. A strong competitor in the Grand Prix Division. Sail Spars 2 spreader rig, composite boom and pole. Currently in storage in Portsmouth, RI. Here is an opportunity to own a competitive Grand Prix yacht at an attractive price. Perfect candidate for an appendage update with a beautiful Derecktor built hull and deck.
learn more
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VINTAGE
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Gleam (US-11),was built by Henry B. Nevins boatyard in 1937 and designed by Clinton Crane for his own personal use. She was involved in the America's Cup as a trial horse in 1958 for the English 12-metre, Septre and in 1962. The late Bob Tiedemann purchased her in 1974 and lovingly restored her while sailing her in the charter business along the East Coast of the United States. She has a very impressive racing history and has dozens of trophies to prove it. Gleam rates in the 12mR Vintage division.
learn more
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VINTAGE |
Northern Light (US-14) was designed by Sparkman Stephens and built by the Henry B. Nevins boatyard in 1938 as a 24th birthday present for Alfred Lee Loomis from his father. She was a trial horse for
Columbia in 1958 for the America's Cup under the name of
Nereus while she was owned by the Greek shipping tycoon, Stavaros Niarcos. She was again involved in Cup service in 1962 and 1964.
Northern Light
rates in the 12mR Vintage division.
learn more
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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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2017 AMERICAS FLEET RESULT LINKS
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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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12 Metre Yacht Club Supporter:
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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 to our discriminating subscribers,
please contact us for our reasonable rates and advertising options.
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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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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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