12 Metre History - Page 2


AMERICAN 12 METRE YACHTS:

At the top of the main sail of a 12 Meter is 12, the 12 Meter class insignia. Below the 12, is a letter or letters that indicate the country where the boat is registered for racing. Following the letters is a number that is the boats racing number. Each countries 12 Meter racing numbers were assigned sequentially in the order that the yachts were built. For example, Columbia (12 US-16) was built in 1958 and Heritage (12 US-23) was built in 1970. The following lists all American 12 Meters ever built.

  • 12 Metre US-1 Waiandance - Built 1928.
  • 12 Metre US-2 Isolde - Built 1928.
  • 12 Metre US-3 Tycoon - Built 1928.
  • 12 Metre US-4 Iris - Built 1928.
  • 12 Metre US-5 Anitra - Built 1928.
  • 12 Metre US-6 Onawa - Built 1928, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-7 Magda XI - Built 1912, Norwegian sailed 1912 Stockholm Olympics Gold medal in the 12 Metre event.
  • 12 Metre US-9 Seven Seas of Porto - Built 1935.
  • 12 Metre US-10 Mitena - Built 1935.
  • 12 Metre US-11 Gleam - Built 1937, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-12 Nyala - Built 1938, currently sailing in Italy with the Prada America's Cup team.
  • 12 Metre US-14 Northern Light - Built 1938, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-15 Vim - Built 1939, America's Cup Contender 1958, currently sailing in the Mediterranean.
  • 12 Metre US-16 Columbia - Built 1958, First 12 Meter America's Cup Winner 1958, America's Cup Contender 1962, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-17 Weatherly - Built 1958, America's Cup Winner 1962, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-18 Easterner - Built 1958, America's Cup Contender 1958, 1962 & 1964, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-19 Nefertiti - Built 1962, America's Cup Contender 1962, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-20 Constellation - Built 1964, America's Cup Winner 1964.
  • 12 Metre US-21 American Eagle - Built 1964, America's Cup Contender 1964, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-22 Intrepid - Built 1967, America's Cup Winner 1967 & 1970, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-23 Heritage - Built 1970, America's Cup Contender 1970, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-24 Valiant - Built 1970, America's Cup Contender 1970 & 1974, currently sailing in Marblehead, MA.
  • 12 Metre US-25 Mariner - Built 1974, America's Cup Contender 1974.
  • 12 Metre US-26 Courageous - Built 1974, America's Cup Winner 1974 & 1977, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-27 Enterprise - Built 1977, America's Cup Contender 1977.
  • 12 Metre US-28 Independence - Built 1976, America's Cup Contender 1977.
  • 12 Metre US-29 Clipper - Built 1980, America's Cup Contender 1980.
  • 12 Metre US-30 Freedom - Built 1979, America's Cup Winner 1980, currently sailing in Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-32 Clipper - Built 1980, America's Cup Contender 1980.
  • 12 Metre US-33 Defender - Built 1982, 1983 America's Cup contender built at Newport Onshore, Newport, RI.
  • 12 Metre US-34 Spirit of America - Built 1982, later rebuilt as Stars & Stripes ‘83.
  • 12 Metre US-38 Magic - Built 1982.
  • 12 Metre US-40 Liberty - Built 1983, America's Cup Defender 1983. Liberty lost the Cup defense to Australia II (12 Metre KA-6), thus ending the New York Yacht Club's 132 year domination of the America's Cup. To this day it remains the longest winning streak in the history of organized sports.
  • 12 Metre US-42 America II - Built 1984, all three of the America II boats were built for the New York Yacht Club's 1987 campaign to win the America's Cup back.
  • 12 Meter US-44 America II - Built 1985.
  • 12 Metre US-46 America II - Built 1986, currently owned by Manhattan Sailing Club Syndicate of New York Harbor, North Cove, New York, NY under the name America II
  • 12 Metre US-49 USA 1 - Built 1985, San Francisco syndicate for 1987 America's Cup.
  • 12 Metre US-50 USA 2 - Built 1987, San Francisco syndicate for 1987 America's Cup.
  • 12 Metre US-51 Heart Of America - Built 1986, Chicago Yacht Club syndicate for 1987 America's Cup.
  • 12 Metre US-53 Stars & Stripes ‘83 - Built 1985. Stars & Stripes '83 was actually a rebuilt and redesigned Spirit Of America (US-34). She was modified for use as a 1987 America's Cup challenger candidate by the San Diego Yacht Club, but passed over for her sister boat, US-55.
  • 12 Metre US-54 Stars & Stripes ‘85 - Built 1986.
  • 12 Metre US-55 Stars & Stripes ‘87 - Built 1986, America's Cup Winner 1987. After losing the Cup in 1983 on the New York Yacht Club's Liberty (12 Metre US-40), Dennis Conner set up his own team backed by the San Diego Yacht Club. It was on Stars & Stripes ‘87 that Conner won back the cup for the United States, beating the Australian defender Kookaburra III (12 Metre KA-15). In doing so, Conner became the only skipper in America's Cup history to lose the Cup and then win it back again. 1987 would be the last year that the 12 Metre design would be used for America's Cup racing. Stars & Stripes ‘87 is currently sailing in St. Maarten.
  • 12 Metre US-56 Stars & Stripes ‘86 - Built 1986. Another sister boat of Stars & Stripes '87 (US-55). The trials between US-56 and US-55 were so close that Dennis Conner did not make his decision to race US-55 until a few days before the America's Cup races were to begin.)
  • 12 Metre US-60 Eagle - Built 1986, Newport Beach, California Yacht club syndicate for 1987 America's Cup.
  • 12 Metre US-61 USA - Built 1986, America's Cup Contender 1987. Renamed Ecosse, currently sailing in the Mediterranean.