1958 America's Cup
Encyclopedia
| 17th America's Cup |
|
|---|---|
| Defender |  New York Yacht ClubNew York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ... |
| Challenger |  Royal Yacht SquadronRoyal Yacht Squadron The Royal Yacht Squadron is the most prestigious yacht club in the United Kingdom and arguably the world. Its clubhouse is located in Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom... |
| Winner | New York Yacht Club New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ... |
| Location | Newport, Rhode Island Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
The 1958 America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
marked the first Cup match sailed in 12-metre class
12-metre class
The 12 Metre Class is a rating class for racing boats designed to the International rule. It enables fair competition between boats that rate in the class whilst retaining the freedom to experiment with the details of their designs. The first 12 Metres were built in 1907. The 12 Metre Class was...
yachts. With twenty years having gone by since the last Cup match in 1937 the New York Yacht Club
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...
looked for a cheaper alternative to the J-class yacht
J-class yacht
The J-Class serves as a rating for large sailing yachts designed between 1930 and 1937. Reserved for a wealthy elite of yachtsmen, these boats were used to compete with the best sailing talents in three races of the America's Cup.-The 1930s:...
s in order to restart interest in the Cup. In 1956 Henry Sears
Henry Sears
Henry Sears was an American commander and a commodore of the New York Yacht Club who competed in the America's Cup and discovered multiple species of marine fish.-Early life:...
lead an effort to replace the J-class yachts with 12-metre class yachts. The Royal Yacht Squadron
Royal Yacht Squadron
The Royal Yacht Squadron is the most prestigious yacht club in the United Kingdom and arguably the world. Its clubhouse is located in Cowes Castle on the Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom...
of Great Britain agreed to challenge with a new yacht, Sceptre. The New York Yacht Club defended with their new 12-meter yacht, Columbia, winning the Cup four races to none.
Defender Series
Four yachts competed in a summer long regatta to determine which yacht the NYYC would name as defender in the match. Competing were Columbia (US-16), Weatherly (US-17), Easterner (US-18), and the Olin StephensOlin Stephens
Olin James Stephens II was an American yacht designer of the 20th century. Stephens was born in New York, but spent his summers with his brother Rod, learning to sail on the New England coast. He also attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a term.Stephens' name had a long history...
designed Vim (US-15) from 1939. Columbia, the new Olin Stephens boat, was chosen as defender after a very close set of races only beating the 19-year old Vim by 12 seconds in the final selection race.
Columbia
Columbia (US-16) was designed by Olin Stephens, built by Nevins, and owned by a syndicate headed by Henry SearsHenry Sears
Henry Sears was an American commander and a commodore of the New York Yacht Club who competed in the America's Cup and discovered multiple species of marine fish.-Early life:...
, Gerard B. Lambert, Briggs S. Cunningham, Vincent Astor
Vincent Astor
William Vincent Astor was a businessman and philanthropist and a member of the prominent Astor family.-Early life:...
, James A. Farrell, A. Howard Fuller, and William T. Moore. The boat was built especially for the 1958 Cup trials. Columbia was helmed by Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Cunningham
Briggs Swift Cunningham II was an American entrepreneur and sportsman, who raced automobiles and yachts. Born into a wealthy family, he became a racing car constructor, driver, and team owner as well as a sports car manufacturer and automobile collector.He skippered the victorious yacht Columbia...
, the inventor of the cunningham sail control device
Cunningham (sailing)
In sailing, a cunningham or cunningham's eye is a type of downhaul used on a Bermuda rigged sailboat to change the shape of a sail. Sailors also often refer to the cunningham as the "smart pig"....
, with syndicate head Henry Sears serving as navigator. After successfully defending the Cup, she went on to a long career, competing the in Defender trials for the 1962 America's Cup
1962 America's Cup
The 1962 America's Cup was the second to be sailed in 12-meter yachts, marked the first challenge for the Cup from a country other than Great Britain or Canada, and was the first challenge from a country in the southern hemisphere...
, 1964 America's Cup, and 1967 America's Cup competitions.
Sceptre
Sceptre (K-17) was also built expressly for the 1958 America's Cup Challenge. She was designed by David Boyd, built Alexander Robertson and Sons, and owned by a syndicateSyndicate
A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies or entities formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest or in the case of criminals, to engage in organized crime...
headed by Hugh Goodson. plus Richard Dickson, William H. Northam, William G. Walkley, and Noel Foley. She was helmed by Graham Mann.
The Races
| Date | Course | Winner | Loser | Winning Time |
Delta | Score | Winner's Velocity on Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 20, 1958 | 24 miles, windward leeward | Columbia | Sceptre | 5:13:56 | 7:45 | 1-0 | 4.59 |
| September 24, 1958 | 24 miles, triangular | Columbia | Sceptre | 3:17:42 | 11:42 | 2-0 | 7.28 |
| September 25, 1958 | 24 miles, windward leeward | Columbia | Sceptre | 3:09:07 | 8:20 | 3-0 | 7.61 |
| September 26, 1958 | 24 miles, triangular | Columbia | Sceptre | 3:04:22 | 7:05 | 4-0 | 7.81 |