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The America's Cup... Defenders & Challengers
1958-1987: The 12-Metres
1958 Newport, RI, USA
THE WINNER
Columbia
The Yacht
Name : Columbia
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 US 16
Year : 1958
LOA : 69ft (20.19m)
LWL : 45ft 1in (14.30m)
Beam : 11ft 9in (3.61m)
Draft : 8ft 9in (2.80m)
Sail Area : 1,985sq ft
Displacement : 28.4 tons
The Club
Yacht Club : New York Yacht Club
Home Port : New York, New York, USA
THE TEAM
Syndicate : Henry Sears
Skipper : Briggs S. Cunningham
Designer : Olin Stephens - Sparkman & Stephens
Builder : Henry Nevins
Built In : City Island, New York, USA
THE CHALLENGER
Sceptre
The Yacht
Name : Sceptre
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 K 17
Year : 1958
LOA : 68ft 11in
LWL : 46ft 5in
Beam : 11ft 9in
Draught : 9ft 1in
Displacement : 30 tons
Sail Area : 1,832 sq ft
The Club
Yacht Club : Royal Yacht Squadron
Home Port : Cowes, Isle of Wight, England
THE TEAM
Built For : Hugh Goodson
Skipper : Graham Mann
Designer : David Boyd
Builder : Alexander Robertson
Built In : Sandbanks, Argyll, Scotland
COLUMBIA (USA) def SCEPTRE (GBR) 4/0

    The British had hoped to have an edge by sailing 12-meter sailboats, which were raced actively in Britain, but not in the U.S.

    However, designer Olin Stephens was no stranger to the class, having designed what was arguably the fastest 12-meter in the world, Vim. His Columbia proved even faster in the summer trials, and in four races never trailed Hugh Goodson's Sceptre.

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1962 Newport, RI, USA
THE WINNER
Weatherly
The Yacht
Name : Weatherly
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 US 17
Year : 1962
LOA : 69ft
LWL : 45ft 5in
Beam : 11ft 8in
Draft : 9ft
Displacement : 29 tons
Sail Area : 1,870sq ft 
The Club
Yacht Club : New York Yacht Club
Home Port : New York, New York, USA
THE TEAM
Built For : Emil "Gus" Mosbacher
Skipper : Emil "Gus" Mosbacher
Designer : Philip Rhodes
Builder : Luders Marine Construction
Built In : Stamford, Connecticut, USA
THE CHALLENGER
Gretel
The Yacht
Name : Gretel I
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 KA 1
Year : 1962
LOA : 69ft 6in
LWL : 46ft 3in
Beam : 11ft 9in
Draft : 9ft
Sail Area : 1,854sq ft
Displacement : 31.36 tons
Hull : Wood
The Club
Yacht Club : Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
Home Port : Sydney, Australia
THE TEAM
Built For : Sir Frank Packer
Skipper : J. Slurrock
Designer : A.Payne
Builder : Lars Halvorsen
Built In : Sydney, Australia
WEATHERLY (USA) def GRETEL (AUS) 4/1
USA def GBR

    Australian media magnate Sir Frank Packer was the first challenger from south of the equator. His sailboat Gretel, designed by Alan Payne, is generally regarded the faster sailboat, but managed only a single victory, the second race of the best-of-seven series.

    Weatherly, designed by Philip Rhodes, won on clever tactics by skipper Emil "Bus" Mosbacher and crew. But this was just the beginning of the flurry of fierce challenges from "Down Under" that ultimately unseated the Cup from its pedestal in the NYYC.

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1964 Newport, RI, USA
THE WINNER
Constellation
The Yacht
Name : Constellation
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 US 20
Year : 1963
LOA : 68ft 4in
LWL : 46ft 5in
Beam : 11ft 11in
Draft : 9ft 1in
Sail Area : 1,818sq ft
Displacement : 29 tons
The Club
Yacht Club : New York Yacht Club
Home Port : New York, New York, USA
THE TEAM
Syndicate : P.S. du Pont Syndicate (NYYC)
Skipper : Robert Bavier & Eric Ridder
Designer : Olin Stephens - Sparkman & Stephens
Builder : Minneford Yacht Yard
Built In : City Island, New York, USA
THE CHALLENGER
Sovereign
The Yacht
Name : Sovereign
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 K 12
Year : 1964
LOA : 69ft
LWL : 45ft 9in
Beam : 12ft 6in
Draught : 8ft 11in
Displacement : 31 tons
Sail Area : 1,810 sq ft
The Club
Yacht Club : Royal Thames Yacht Club
Home Port : London, England
THE TEAM
Built For : Anthony Boyden (RTYC)
Skipper : Peter Scott
Designer : David Boyd
Built In : Sandbanks, Argyll, Scotland
CONSTELLATION (USA) def SOVEREIGN (GBR) 4/0

    The British were back in 1964, but the David Boyd-designed Sovereign was completely out-classed by Constellation, which was designed by Olin Stephens and skippered by Bob Bavier.

    The closest Sovereign came was in the first race, losing by five and half minutes.

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1967 Newport, RI, USA
THE WINNER
Intrepid
The Yacht
Name : Intrepid
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 US 22
Year : 1967
LWL : 46ft 10in
Beam : 12ft 9in
Draft : 9ft 1in
Displacement : 30 tons
Sail Area : 1,757 sq ft
The Club
Yacht Club : New York Yacht Club
Home Port : New York, New York, USA
THE TEAM
Built For : W. J. Strawbridge Syndicate
Skipper : Emil "Gus" Mosbacher
Designer : Olin Stephens - Sparkman & Stephens
Builder : Minneford Yacht Yard
Built In : City Island, New York, USA
THE CHALLENGER
Dame Pattie
The Yacht
Name : Dame Pattie
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 KA 2
Year : 1967
LOA : 65ft 1in
LWL : 47ft
Beam : 12ft 1in
Draft : 9ft 2in
Sail Area : 1,761sq ft
Displacement : 30.5 tons
The Club
Yacht Club : Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
Home Port : Sydney, Australia
THE TEAM
Syndicate : Emil Christiensen (RSYS)
Skipper : Jock Slurrock
Designer : Warwick Hood
Builder : W.H. Barnett Co.
Built In : Sydney, Australia
INTREPID (USA) def DAME PATTIE (AUS) 4/0

    Considered by many to be the greatest 12-meter ever built, the Olin Stephens-designed Intrepid took on Australia's Dame Pattie.

    With the exception of a brief moment in the second race, however, the determined crew from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron could only watch Intrepid's stern as Bus Mosbacher sailed her to his second successful Cup defense.

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1970 Newport, RI, USA
THE WINNER
Intrepid
The Yacht
Name : Intrepid
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 US 22
Year : 1967
LOA : 64ft 6in
LWL : 45ft 6in
Beam : 12ft
Draught : 9ft
Displacement : 28.75 tons
Sail Area : 1,750 sq ft
The Club
Yacht Club : New York Yacht Club
Home Port : New York, New York, USA
THE TEAM
Syndicate : W. J. Strawbridge
Skipper : Bill Ficker
Designer : Olin Stephens - Sparkman & Stephens
Builder : Minneford Yacht Yard
Built In : City Island, New York, USA
THE CHALLENGER
America
The Yacht
Name : Getel II
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 KA 3
Year : 1970
LOA : 62ft 6in
LWL : 45ft 6in
Beam : 12ft 6in
Draught : 9ft 3in
Displacement : 32.5 tons
Sail Area : 1,760 sq ft
The Club
Yacht Club : Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
Home Port : Sydney, Australia
THE TEAM
Built For : Sir Frank Packer
Skipper : J. Hardy
Designer : Alan Payne
Builder : W. H. Barnett
Built In : NSW, Australia
Currently : Australian heiritage Fleet
INTREPID (USA) def GRETEL II (AUS) 4/1

    The beginning of the multiple challenges (Greece and Great Britain dropped out), and Australian newspaper magnate Frank Packer had to dispose of Baron Marcel Bich of France before engaging the previous winner, Intrepid.

    Gretel II, a new design from Alan Payne, was the most competitive challenger yet, but good crew work aboard Intrepid and winning a controversial protest in the second race ensured yet another American victory.

    Packer did not go quietly, however, and his accusations of cheating against the NYYC—the door to Intrepid's head had been removed, fairings were installed near Intrepid's rudder, and Gretel II's disqualification in Race 2 -- errupted in a war of words that initiated correspondence between the Australian consulate and the U.S. State Department.

    Nonetheless, finishing first in two races on the water made the Aussies more determined than ever to continue in their pursuit of the America's Cup.

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1974 Newport, RI, USA
THE WINNER
Courageous
The Yacht
Name : Courageous
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 US 26
Year : 1974
LOA : 66ft
LWL : 45ft
Beam : 12ft
Draught : 9ft
Displacement : 29 tons
Sail Area : 1,760 sq ft
The Club
Yacht Club : New York Yacht Club
Home Port : New York, New York, USA
THE TEAM
Syndicate : R. McCullough
Skipper : Robert Bavier
Designer : Olin Stephens - Sparkman & Stephens
THE CHALLENGER
Southern Cross
The Yacht
Name : Southern Cross
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 KA 4
Year : 1974
LOA : 67ft
LWL : 46ft 8in
Beam : 12ft 3in
Draught : 9ft 1in
Displacement : 31.75 tons
Sail Area : 1,731 sq ft
Mast Height : 97ft
Hull : 1st aluminum 12 Meter
The Club
Yacht Club : Royal Perth Yacht Club
Home Port : Perth, Western Australia
THE TEAM
Built For : Alan Bond
Skipper : J. Cueno
Designer : Bob Miller
Builder : Lars Halvorsen
Built In : Perth, Western Australia
COURAGEOUS (USA) def SOUTHERN CROSS (AUS) 4/0

    The transition from wooden to aluminum hulls and the first time an organized challenger elimination series was conducted.

    France’s Baron Bich was back with France I, but the French boat was no match for Southern Cross, designed by Bob Miller (who later made history under the name Ben Lexcen).

    The match itself was anti-climactical after the hottly contested defender trials between two-time winner Intrepid and Olin Stephen’s new aluminum-hulled Courageous, which quickly dispatched Alan Bond’s Southern Cross in four straight races.

    The refitted Intrepid, sailed by a West Coast syndicate headed by San Diego’s Gerry Driscoll, came within one race of becoming a three-time defender.

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1977 Newport, RI, USA
THE WINNER
Courageous
The Yacht
Name : Courageous
Yacht Class : 12 Meter
Sail No : 12 US 26
Year : 1974
LOA : 66ft
LWL : 45ft
Beam : 12ft
Draught : 9ft
Displacement : 29 tons
Sail Area : 1,760 sq ft
The Club
Yacht Club : New York Yacht Club
Home Port : New York, New York, USA