The old days: The American twelve "Stars & Stripes" with Dennis Conner (front) won the final in 1987 against Freemantle in rough conditions against the Australian "KookaburrIII" with Ian Murray
The new boats, the bonds are evident
Tom Ehman, longtime America’s Cup enthusiast, wants to conjure up the "good old days" of the fight for the most prestigious trophy in sailing with a new regatt. In July 2017, the San Francisco Yacht Racing Challenge will be held for the first time on the bay of the same name. A new keelboat is to be used, the first draft of which has now been presented. Developed by Farr Yacht Design, one of the most successful design offices of the Twelve era, the new design will be reminiscent of the former Twelve, which was sailed with from 1958 to 1987, one of the most glamorous times of the America’s Cup.
Modern attachments
The new boat, the Super-Zwölfer, will be of the same length and silhouette as the old twelve. The large, overlapping genubei as well as the 20 percent free-standing mast top contribute to this. The spars and the rig should, however, be made of carbon fiber, just like the hull using a composite of carbon and glass fiber with a foam core.
Well-known silhouette
Below the waterline, modern attachments with bombs, wings and trim tabs were designed, as in the case of the IACC-class cup boats, which replaced the twelve and were later relegated to the scrap heap by the catamarans. However, the new Zwölfer will only go 3.20 meters deep so that it can be used in as many areas as possible. Overall, it should be around six tons lighter than the models and still generate a similar righting moment. The old twelve had become famous for their enormous ballast content, which enabled breathtaking matches in difficult weather such as off Fremantle. Since the boat is no longer subject to the old rule of twelve, the waterline will be a little longer to allow higher top speeds.
The class logo
The super twelve should be a strict one-size-fits-all class, only with the sails should there be some leeway to keep the cost per boat at around two million US dollars. There are twelve people sailing, the crew must include at least two women, two sailors under the age of 22 and one who is 62 years of age or older. The aim is to address the entire spectrum of sailors. Above all, the upper age limit is intended to motivate potential donors and probably also cup veterans.
Five boats are to be built by the premiere in July 2017, according to Ehmann, a team from Italy that wanted to start at the actual Cup 2017 can be expected soon, probably the former LunRossChallenge of fashion tsar Patrizio Bertelli. There are also negotiations with teams from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Thailand, Spain and three US teams.
Organizer page
The development of the America's Cup boats in fast motion