Challenge XII among those vying in 12 Metre race


A fleet of 12 Metres, including Jack Lefort’s Challenge XII, second from right, during the 2017 Newport Trophy Regatta. The fleet is back on Narragansett Bay this week for the world championship. PHOTO BY STEPHEN R. CLOUTIER

A fleet of 12 Metres, including Jack Lefort’s Challenge XII, second from right, during the 2017 Newport Trophy Regatta. The fleet is back on Narragansett Bay this week for the world championship. PHOTO BY STEPHEN R. CLOUTIER

The 112-year-old international 12 Metre Class encompasses a living history of yachts designed by the world’s foremost naval architects, including Olin Stephens, Clinton Crane, William Fife III, Philip Rhodes, Johan Anker and Ben Lexcen.

These men pushed their designs to the limits of innovation. The resulting boats represented the pinnacle of yacht development from 1907-87 for the highest levels of competition: the Olympic Games and the America’s Cup.

With the largest fleet of 12 Metres ever assembled in North America, the inaugural world championship is underway in Rhode Island. Racing continues through Sunday with 22 yachts in four classes competing to become world champion, including Challenge XII, the boat owned and helmed by Walcott Avenue’s Jack Lefort.

Challenge XII is the Australian-built yacht that was commissioned to face off against Dennis Connors’ Liberty in the 1983 America’s Cup. The 12 Metre competed in the Louis Vuitton Cup but fell short of its Auld Mug dreams. With an identical hull, Challenge XII is the sister ship of Australia II, which did supplant the Americans. Lefort, who sailed at the University of Pennsylvania, purchased the 12 Metre during the 2016-17 winter and retrofitted the 63-footer.

In anticipation for the world championship, which is hosted by the Ida Lewis Yacht Club, a fleet of 16 Twelves competed in Sail Newport’s annual regatta over the weekend. After five races over two days, New Zealand, Victory ’83, Columbia and Nyala became the yachts to beat, winning their respective divisions. This regatta foreshadowed the intense competition expected this week.

“It was unprecedented and awesome to see so many 12 Metres together on Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound,” said Peter Gerard, chairman of the world championship.

The 12 Metres are divided into divisions based on when they were built: grand prix (1983-87), modern (1967-83), traditional (1958-64) and vintage (1907-58). There also will be a fourth division for America II (US-42) and its sister ship flying the US-46 sail. Owned by the New York Harbor Sailing Foundation, these boats were built as 12 Metre yachts but no longer are in compliance with class rules.

In the grand prix division, the four competitors represent four different countries. Kiwi Magic (KZ-7), helmed by Danish sailor Johan Blach Petersen, will compete against Kokkaburra (KA-12, Italy), Legacy (KZ-5, Denmark) and New Zealand (KZ- 3), the American entry helmed by Newport summer resident Gunther Buerman.

In the modern division, Lefort and Challenge XII (KA-10) will compete against Arthur Santry’s Courageous (US-26), Defender (US-33), Enterprise (US-27), which is owned by Newport’s Clayton Deutsch, Freedom (US-30), Intrepid (US-22), Lionheart (K-18) and Victory ’83 (K-22), helmed by Dennis Williams, a part-time Newporter.

In the traditional division, Newport’s Kevin Hegarty will race Columbia (US-16) against American Eagle (US-21), Easterner (US-18) and Nefertiti (US-19).

The vintage division, like the grand prix boats, is a melting pot featuring a Finnish boat, Blue Marlin (K-17), an Italian boat, Nyala (US-12), an American boat, Onawa (US-6), and a Norwegian boat, Vema III (N-11).