history

America’s Cup Winner! In 1958 a new class of sailboats, the 12 Meter class, was introduced as the racing class of the America’s Cup. Off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island sleek and fast, Columbia (12 Meter US-16) stunned its competition with a sweeping win of the first 12 Meter America’s Cup, proving that 12 Meters were justifiable competitors in the coveted America’s Cup!

Commodore Henry Sears and Briggs Cunningham, along with other financial investors, formed one of the New York Yacht Club’s syndicates for the 1958 America’s Cup and commissioned Columbia to be their racer. They hired Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens to design Columbia and she was to be built at the well known Nevins Boatyard in New York. Her design was based on the successful, pre-war 12 Meter, Vim (12 Meter US 15). Although 19 years old at the time, Harold Vanderbilt’s Vim was, up until then, the fastest 12 Meter sailing, and provided the foundation for Sparkman and Stephen’s winning design for Columbia.

Columbia began her path to America’s Cup victory with hard fought preliminary races off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island. The America’s Cup defense trials during 1958 were probably the most exciting ever held. Columbia was one of four American boats competing to defend the America’s Cup. The others, Weatherly (12 Meter US-17), Easterner (12 Meter US-18) and Vim (12 Meter US-15), like Columbia, were also very fast boats and had excellent crew. Columbia was skippered by Briggs Cunningham and had a crew that included the finest sailors in the United States including Olin and Rod Stephens, Harry Sears, Colin Ratsey, Wallace Tobin, and Halsey Herreshoff.

The preliminary America’s Cup defense trial series started on July 12, 1958 of the coast of Newport, RI. Easterner and Weatherly were the first to be eliminated in the America’s Cup trials which left the two Sparkman and Stephens designed boats, Vim and Columbia. In the end 19 year old Vim was unable to defeat the newer and faster Columbia who won the series by only twelve seconds in the final race.

The challenger for the 1958 America’s Cup finals was the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Sceptre (12 Meter K-17). Sceptre, the first of two twelve meters designed by David Boyd, had trained extensively on The Solent and won the America’s Cup trials to be the first 12 Meter challenger of the America’s Cup. Sceptre was shipped to the United States and began racing in Newport, RI on September 20, 1958.

In Newport, RI’s 1958 America’s Cup finals it was immediately obvious that Sceptre was no match for Columbia. Columbia, prepared by her hard fought trials victory, never once trailed Sceptre and won four straight races by margins ranging from 7 to 12 minutes sweeping the first 12 Meter America’s Cup and making her the first 12 Meter to win the America’s Cup.

SPECIFICATIONS:

LOA – 69′ 8”
LWL – 45′ 10”
Beam – 11’9”
Draft – 9’6”
Displacement – 63,200 lbs
Sail Area – 1,846 square feet
Designer – Olin Stephens
Builder – Nevins Shipyard, City Island, NY
Original Owner – Henry Sears Syndicate (New York Yacht Club)
Original Skipper – Briggs Cunningham

Columbia has had a very successful career since winning the America’s Cup. She was a contender thru the 1962 America’s Cup and continued to win races for various private owners while in Europe. After a French ownership Columbia, was brought back to Newport, RI in 1997.

Today, Columbia is meticulously maintained with teak decks and 24kt gold-leaf details.  Below deck she boasts an exquisite varnished interior including two private heads, four teak sinks with running hot water, captains quarters, and crew bunks. Take a stroll down her spiral staircase to the ample salon with wine cabinet, half-hulls, navigation station, and photo of the original America’s Cup crew and much more.

Under the direction of her experienced captain, Kevin Hegarty, Columbia is faster than she has ever been. Columbia carries the racing tradition and her winning ways by dominating the fleet. She is a force to be reckoned with in all classic yacht regattas and the 12-Meter circuit throughout New England. Just to list some of her most recent accomplishments, Columbia was the 2016 North American Champion. In 2017, Columbia was awarded the Ted Hood trophy which goes to the most winning 12-meter yacht. In 2018 took 1st in class at the New York Yacht Club Rolex series & Newport Trophy. She then went on to take 1st place in the Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge in Nantucket Race Week, Opera House Cup, Bristol & Newport Regattas.

In 2019, Columbia won 1st in her class for the 12 Meter World Championship.

12 Meter Charters proudly offers the incomparable America’s Cup winner, Columbia, for charter. Fast, sleek, and beautiful Columbia offers enjoyment to all her guests for racing or pleasure sailing! Come sail on the legendary first 12 Meter America’s Cup winner, Columbia, as she continues her winning ways!

Please contact 12 Meter Yacht Charters for more information about chartering Columbia and our customized yacht charters.