Message from the Commodore
James Gubelmann
Greetings 12 Metre Friends!
The 12-Metre sailing season is in full swing! Our first Americas fleet
Waypoint event,
METREFEST NEWPORT was a resounding success with seventeen 2.4mRs, six 6mRs and nine 12mRs racing in beautiful conditions at New York Yacht Club's 163rd Annual Regatta. The gathering of International Rule boats docked at Fort Adams drew admiration from both sailors and spectators; and the camaraderie of 300+ metre boat sailors and supporters at our sold out dinner party was exhilarating. Additionally, the event, and specifically the 12s garnered some fantastic press coverage including a cover-story published by our friends at
QUEST magazine, more on this below.
Last weekend we watched the close competition between Dennis Williams'
Defender and Jack LeFort's
Challenge XII at NYYC's Queen's Cup with great interest. Sailing with the IRC-rated fleet, these two newly-restored 12s, racing in their second and debut regattas respectively, gave the newer, more nimble boats a run for their money. In the end, it was
Defender that won the Queen's Cup and we couldn't be prouder of both of these 12mR teams!
In other news, our Club is now a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. Going forward, your financial support of the 12MYC will be tax deductible to the extent allowable based on specific purchases or donations. That said, tickets for our
Annual 12MYC Dinner on Thursday, September 21, 2017 are now on sale. As you know, space is very limited, so it is not too early to make your reservation today.
Also in this issue, we feature an inside look at the
Challenge XII project by David Pedrick, a 12mR history byte from Stephen Lirakis, regatta schedules, results, photo links and more.
Finally, after witnessing both METERFEST and the America's Cup, 12MYC supporter, Dr. Sam Murray coined the catchy phrase:
"Twelve Metres, One Hull of a Boat."
We like it!
Jimmy Gubelmann
Commodore, 12MYC Newport
|
|
SAVE THE DATE: 12MYC ANNUAL DINNER
|
Thursday, September 21, 2017
|
CHALLENGE XII , KA-10 JOINS NEWPORT FLEET by David Pedrick
|
|
|
| Photo Courtesy: North Sails |
Jack and Lisa LeFort, long-time summer Jamestowners, have joined Newport's Modern Division fleet with
Challenge XII, KA-10, a 1982 Ben Lexcen design that was a trial horse for
Australia II. She competed in the 1983 America's Cup Challenger Trials for the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria (Melbourne, AUS). Purchased by the LeForts earlier this year,
Challenge XII had been inactive at NEB since 2009, when her French owner at the time came for the World Championship in Newport that year.
The LeForts commissioned an extensive refit of all operating systems and hull cosmetics at NEB, managed by Twelve Metre veteran Bob Campbell. The cockpit was extended to go from the 9.0 sq m maximum area of 1983 to 10.0 sq m as established for the 1987 America's Cup. Her new rating certificate was established by comprehensive measurement from keel to masthead.
Challenge XII will be easy to pick out in the fleet. Her new livery is black with a distinctive Roman "XII" in gold on the topsides. That's topped with black spars flying a suit of North carbon 3Di sails. She has long, graceful overhangs and low freeboard. Re-launched in late June, she begins her "Road to the Worlds - 2019" campaign in the Newport Trophy Regatta, 21-23 July.
We welcome Jack, Lisa, their crew and their yacht to the fleet, and wish them good racing and friendly competition.-- DP.
|
12mR COVER GIRLS: VICTORY '83, INTREPID & COURAGEOUS
|
12 METRE YACHT CLUB MEMBERSHIP
|
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).
|
IN THE NEWS: DEFENDER, US-33 WINS QUEEN'S CUP!
|
New York Yacht Club Press Release, dated: 7/16/17
Defender Proves Age Is Just A Number With Queen's Cup Victory
|
|
|
Photo credits: Steve Cloutier, Stuart Streuli- NYYC
|
Newport, Rhode Island, USA: Three and a half decades ago, the 12 Metre
Defender left Newport under less than ideal circumstances, having failed in its campaign to represent the New York Yacht Club in the 1983 America's Cup.
This summer, her return to competition has been an unqualified success. Earlier today, Dennis William's skippered the restored 12 Metre to a win in the Queen's Cup, knocking off a fleet of a dozen newer and more nimble raceboats to claim one of the New York Yacht Club's most prestigious trophies.
The Queen's Cup, which was first raced in 1953, is an anachronism. It's just one race, rather than a series, and much longer than the traditionally hour-long windward-leeward races that are ubiquitous in modern big-boat racing. The 2017 Queen's Cup course covered 6 legs and 16.2 miles, as the crow flies. The fastest boat took two hours and 11 minutes to complete the course; the slowest nearly three hours. There's also the unique starting procedure, which allows each boat to pick it's starting time within a two-minute window.
The 12 Metre class is seeing a resurgence of interest in advance of the class's 2019 World Championship in Newport. - Stuart Streuli
|
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.
|
THE HOOD / NORTH CONTROVERSY by Stephen Lirakis
|
Many of us have heard the story that Ted Turner was denied North Sails in the America's Cup summer of 1977; much was made of it by both the press and the respective syndicates.
I believe that the origin of this story started in the summer of 1976 at the One-Ton World Championship in Marseilles, France. Ted Turner had purchased
Pied Piper, previously owned and skippered by Lowell North. It was with this boat that North beat Turner at the 1975 One-Ton Championship in Newport.
When in Marseilles, Turner invited North to sail with us on
Pied Piper. As we headed out to the start the conversation touched on many subjects; Ted Turner is seldom at a loss for worlds. While in the starting sequence Ted blurted out: "
Hey Lowell, you would sell me sails if I had a boat in the America's Cup, right?" I always thought that Lowell said yes at that moment just to get Ted back on task.-- SL
|
ROAD TO THE WORLDS, WAYPOINTS REGATTA STANDINGS
|
2019 12mR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP / NYYC 175th ANNIVERSARY
|
The New York Yacht Club has recently posted an 175th Anniversary Regatta FAQs page on their website, you will find it
here
. Additionally, the Club is collecting "expressions of interest" from potential participants. If you have not yet done so, may we suggest that you add your 12mR to the list by completing the short questionnaire that you will find
here
.
|
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 David have done above?
Please contact us if you'd like to be a Content Contributor. We hope to hear from you soon!
|
OFFICIAL 12MYC GEAR, GET IT HERE:
|
BURGEES: FADE-RESISTANT 12" X 18" DOUBLE-FACED APPLIQUE
NECKTIES: 100% SILK w/ WOVEN DESIGN
BOTH MADE IN USA
FOR SALE TO MEMBERS ONLY
|
SUPPORT 12MYC, ADVERTISE WITH US
|
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.
|
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.
|
METREFEST NEWPORT PHOTO GALLERY LINKS
|
2017 AMERICAS FLEET CALENDAR & RESULT LINKS
|
GET IN THE GAME, CHARTER A 12
|
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...
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
