1958 America's Cup
Yacht race
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The 1958 America's Cup marked the first Cup match sailed in 12-metre class yachts. Twenty years had passed since the last Cup match, held between immense Universal Rule J-class yachts in 1937 besides World War II, and the New York Yacht Club sought a more affordable alternative to restart interest in the Cup. In 1956 Henry Sears[1] led an effort advancing class yachts. The Royal Yacht Squadron of Great Britain agreed to challenge with a new 12-metre, Sceptre. The New York Yacht Club defended with theirs, Columbia, winning the Cup in a four-race sweep.
Columbia (right) in 2011 | |
Defender  United States | |
|---|---|
| Defender club: | New York Yacht Club |
| Yacht: | Columbia |
Challenger  United Kingdom | |
| Challenger club: | Royal Yacht Squadron |
| Yacht: | Sceptre |
| Competition | |
| Location: | Newport, Rhode Island, United States |
| Dates: | 20–26 September 1958 |
| Rule: | 12-metre |
| Winner: | New York Yacht Club |
| Score: | 4–0 |
Defender Series
Four yachts competed in a summer long regatta to determine which the NYYC would name as defender, Columbia (US-16), a new Olin Stephens boat, Weatherly (US-17), Easterner (US-18), and the Olin Stephens designed Vim (US-15) from 1939. Columbia was chosen after a very close set of races resulted in only beating the 19-year-old Vim by 12 seconds in the final competition.
The Races
| Date | Course | Winner | Loser | Winning Time |
Delta | Score | Winner's Velocity on Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 20, 1958 | 24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi), windward leewarda | Columbia | Sceptre | 5:13:56 | 7:45 | 1-0 | 4.59 |
| September 24, 1958 | 24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi), triangularb | Columbia | Sceptre | 3:17:42 | 11:42 | 2-0 | 7.28 |
| September 25, 1958 | 24 nmi, windward leeward | Columbia | Sceptre | 3:09:07 | 8:20 | 3-0 | 7.61 |
| September 26, 1958 | 24 nmi, triangular | Columbia | Sceptre | 3:04:22 | 7:05 | 4-0 | 7.81 |