This Friday, September 16, the 12 Metre Yacht Club, Newport
Station, will host the first day of the 12 Metre North American Championship in
the waters of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound. Seven iconic boats from the Vintage Onawa
to the sleek Challenge XII will race over three days in two divisions to
lay claim to this coveted trophy. Past
winner, Kevin Hegarty’s US 16 Columbia will try again to outsail those
in the Traditional Class for the 2022 title.
Several of these boats were either winners of the America’s Cup or were
built and raced for this purpose. US 16 Columbia
won in 1958 and US 17 Weatherly won in 1962 and will be skippered by Commodore
of the 12 Metre Yacht Club, Steve Eddleston.
The Ida Lewis Yacht Club will serve as the Organizing
Authority with a veteran race committee, including Principal Race Officer,
Peter Gerard. 5-6 races will be raced,
depending on weather and time, to constitute this regatta.
Preceding the final day of racing, Sunday, September 18, the
class will form a boat parade in Newport Harbor beginning at 10:00 AM which
will kick off in front of spectators at the Newport Boat Show. Flags will fly and horns will blow to
celebrate this special class and its close ties to Newport.
https://newportboatshow.com/show-highlights/
Following racing on Sunday, all the 12s will proceed to the
docks at Fort Adams around 3:30 PM where they will be welcomed by kids from the
Boys & Girls Clubs of Rhode Island.
The 12 Metre Yacht Club formed a partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs
earlier in the year and this is the second event this summer the yacht club
will host for the kids. Decked in their
bright yellow t-shirts for the event, the kids will climb aboard and learn what
it’s like to sail these sleek, historic sailboats from some legends in the
sailing world.
Awards will be given at a party immediately following at
Sail Newport in the Fort Adams Park.