The America’s Cup races in Aukland restart again tomorrow. The defender and challenger will be sailing AC75 class boats — keel-less, flying, foiling wonders of carbon fiber, packed with hydraulics, cutting-edge electronics, and powered by soft wing sails, capable of speeds of over 50 knots.
Here is a short documentary of America’s Cup racers of another era — the beautiful 12 metre class boats. Filmed during the 2019 12mR World Championship in Newport R.I., highlights include racing footage and competitor interviews paired with the experienced insights of the 12MYC’s Station Steward Gary Jobson who also wrote and narrated this documentary.
From July 8 – 13, 2019, twenty-two 12 metre yachts and more than 300 world-class sailors representing six countries converged on Newport to compete at the 2019 12mR World Championship. “The narrative of this film demonstrates why the people who race 12mRs are so passionate about the yachts,” said Jobson. “The feeling of sailing a twelve upwind connects sailors to the wind and the water in a way that makes you want to come back.”
“The twelves will continue to thrive long into the future because they are fun and yet challenging boats to sail— the 12 Metre Class is the epitome of what yacht racing is all about.”
— Gary Jobson
Tactician, Courageous (US-26)
2019 World Championship