The 12 Metre North American Championship runs Sept. 18 to 20 on Narragansett Bay, bringing back the class of yacht that defined America’s Cup competition in Newport for nearly 30 years.
Twelve Metres were the Cup boats from 1958 through 1987, including Australia II’s 1983 win that ended the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year defense. The fleet will race across several divisions.
The International Twelve Metre Association’s Americas Fleet is hosting, with Ida Lewis Yacht Club as organizing authority.
“You are sailing vessels that, in their day, in this town, represented the peak of yacht racing for the America’s Cup,” said Steve Eddleston, who owns Weatherly, the 1962 Cup defender. He described racing 30-ton boats separated by fractions of a knot, where a single maneuver decides the outcome.
Castle Hill and Fort Adams are the best shoreside viewing spots. Some of the boats will be docked at the Newport Harbor Hotel & Marina, where the public can see them up close.
Follow the fleet at IMTA 12M North American Fleet on Instagram, IMTA 12M Class on Facebook, and 12M North American Fleet on Facebook.
