Twelves: Timeless grace, raw power, and genesis of modern racing technology.

It was a late afternoon in February of 1987 when Dennis Conner arrived at the dock in Fremantle, Australia aboard his US 55 12 Metre Stars & Stripes. After four days of racing, Conner’s crew had taken back the America’s Cup. It was a banner day for Conner, who had become the first skipper to ever lose the Cup back in 1983 in the waters off Newport. Now, he would be known as the first skipper to also win it back. Conner would go on to compete in future America’s Cup campaigns, but 1987 would be the last time a 12 Metre would do so.

More than 20 years have passed now since 12s have battled for sailing’s most coveted prize. And by now, the story of the Class is well known. But to sailing enthusiasts, it is no less captivating or significant today.

It all started in 1958. Prior to World War II, massive schooners and gentlemen’s yachts competed for the Cup. But after the war, when more leisurely pursuits resumed, nothing short of a revolution in sailing occurred.

For the next 30 years, the 12 Metre Class would be the standard bearer for Cup racing. From Intrepid, whose two wins in 1967 and 1970 established the Class in popular culture to Courageous, whose 1974 and 1977 Cup wins with Ted Hood and Ted Turner at the helm, elevated skippers to celebrities, the Competitive lifespan of the 12 Metre Class spans generations, tethering decades of sailing history together.

Built off a formula originally conceived by William Froude of England, the 12 Metre Class follows a rigid design standard more than 100 years old. Come to be known as the International Rule, the formula that makes the 12 unique also governs several other renowned designs including the 5.5, 6, 8, 10, 15 and 23 Metre Classes.

Generally, a 12 Metre is classified as belonging to one of five divisions. Each Division is defined as a range of dates, which coincided with a particular type of keel, rudder or rig design.

The most recent of the Divisions is the Grand Prix. It covers all yachts built with winged keels and all yachts constructed after 1983. It is preceded by the Moderns, which includes most 12 Metres built between 1968 and 1983, typified by their use of a skeg mounted rudder. Intrepid is considered the first Modern even though it was built in 1967 since it was the first 12 Metre to use a skeg mounted rudder. All other 12 Metre Class yachts built before 1968, excluding Intrepid, have been grouped in Three Classic Divisions, including Antique (most of which are gaff rigged), Vintage, and Traditional. Older sloop-rigged yachts like Gleam and Onawa fit into the Vintage category, while the later Classics such as Columbia and Nefertiti are considered Traditional.

Tending to be long and sleek, 12s can reach lengths from bow to stern of up to 65 feet, the average waterline stretching 45 feet. Deep-drafted to as much as nine feet, 12s have a massive bulk, weighing somewhere close to 45,000 pounds. Their elegance belies a raw power which, when in the hands of an able crew, elevates the spectacle of racing to the highest art conducted on a deep blue canvas.

The significance of the sail numbers is obscurely obvious. At the top of each mainsail of a registered 12, is an iconic symbol: The number 12 paired prominently with a thick bar beneath it.Under the bar is an alphanumeric sequence, which to the trained eye can identify the vessel and tell its history. The letters represent the boat’s country of origin, while the numbers indicate the order in which it was built.

To this day, they are synonymous with the America’s Cup, and put Newport on the map as a proving ground for sailors from around the globe. The 12s are still a common site on Narragansett Bay.

Fittingly, Newport is home to the largest assemblage in the world, their frequent bouts on the bay a constant reminder for those who live there of the city’s sailing pedigree.

But while some might think that the glory days of the 12s are now behind them, a dedicated group of owners has continued to keep the Class relevant and active. Over the past decade, there has been a resurgence in Class racing. In addition to ceremonial events such as the 2001 America’s Cup Jubilee in Cowes, England, Events like the 12 Metre World Championships, now held every two years, attract a legion of fans and serve to highlight the timeless grace and enduring excitement of the Class.

This summer, the International 12 Metre Class, under the banner of the Golden Year of Racing, will celebrate it all. From New York City to Nantucket, more than two dozen 12s will take to the water to compete against one another, marking the 50th anniversary since the introduction of the 12 Metre design into Cup racing.

Almost immediately, their effect was transformative. Their lines, lineage and lore captured the imaginations of generations of sailing enthusiasts and brought sailing to the fore of international sport.

While modern day sailing is made up of hi-tech one-designs, maxis and multihulls, it was the 12s that led the way.

During their heyday, the 12 Metre design was a test ground for much of today’s early technology. As Cup contenders sought to maximize every last inch of the 12 Metre rule, the pursuit of lighter, stronger materials intensified. Wood hulls and brass fittings of the early 12s gave way to composite designs, while cotton sails succumbed to kevlar. Indeed, much of what we today consider to be advanced materials had its genesis in this timeless Class.

But with time, also comes distress.

Over the years, too many 12s have been claimed by elements, neglect and injury.

The Golden Year is not only a time to celebrate the Class and its storied racing history, but to also bring attention to its present day. Keeping the Class active is the surest way to ensure these boats will still be sailing 50 years from now.