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Reminiscing “Freedom”: a 12 Metre Classic

• By Herb McCormick
• January 2, 2024

Forty years ago this past September, in the waters of Rhode Island Sound just off the coastal city of Newport, a crew of Aussies shocked the sailing world. The 12 Metre Australia II defeated the American boat Liberty to win the 1983 America’s Cup and bring the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year defense of the Auld Mug to a conclusion. It’s safe to say the Cup, and my hometown of Newport, have never been the same.

I spent a lot of time on the sound that summer taking in the action, so when I signed up to volunteer on a marshal boat for the latest edition of the 12 Metre World Championship regatta in August, I found myself on the very same waters, which turned into a pretty nostalgic voyage down a nautical memory lane. But the graceful Twelve I couldn’t take my eyes off wasn’t the winner of the Modern Division, Challenge XII , or even the victor of the Traditional/Vintage Division, Columbia . Nope, I was more or less transfixed on the runner-up to Challenge XII , a striking-blue yacht called Freedom . Of all the entries in the 10-boat fleet, to me, Freedom was easily the most historic and memorable.

Three years before the Australians absconded with the Cup, in 1980, with the estimable Dennis Conner in command, Freedom won the contest in dominant fashion, and it seemed like the New York Yacht Club’s winning streak would go on forever. It was designed by the legendary naval architecture firm Sparkman & Stephens, which had drawn the lines of every Cup winner but one since 1936. Conner was back on the helm in the losing effort in ’83, but he would find redemption, winning the Cup back for the United States in Western Australia in 1987. But for S&S, Freedom marked the end of an illustrious era. The firm would never again create a Cup winner.

For the 12 Metre Worlds, ironically enough, the navigator aboard Freedom was a lanky old Aussie mate of mine called Grant Simmer, who’d served in the same capacity aboard Australia II for his country’s winning effort way back when. With the exception of the gray hair, he looked exactly the same.

This time, however, Simmer couldn’t work his magic. Unlike the America’s Cup, where boats compete in one-on-one match racing, the World Championship event is fleet racing, with everyone out on the track at the same time. It’s a different game. And Challenge XII had a ringer of its own: the president of North Sails, Ken Read, also a longtime America’s Cup veteran. As far as I was concerned, Freedom was easily the prettiest of all the Modern yachts. When push came to shove, though, it was no longer the fastest.

Today’s America’s Cup competition, conducted on closed-course race tracks in skittish foiling catamarans—about as far removed as possible from a stately 12 Metre racing in the open ocean—bears little resemblance to what the event looked like in the early 1980s. And Newport has undergone a radical makeover as well. The shipyards where the Cup boats used to reside between races have been replaced by condos and hotels, and the only real remaining trace of the America’s Cup is the boulevard of the same name. It’s a reminder that the only true constant in life is change.

But for a few afternoons last August, I could shut my eyes for a moment of reminiscence and open them up to see what I can only describe as a fleeting image of a bygone time. Freedom may be a footnote in the history of yacht racing, but the big, beautiful blue boat still looks powerful and fantastic all the same.

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Published on November 21st, 2017 | by Editor

12-Meter: The Perfect Starter Boat

Published on November 21st, 2017 by Editor -->

by Jonathan Russo, Observer.com The world of sailing has some great competitions. There is the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, Vendee Globe, Extreme Sailing Series, and Sydney Hobart. The downside is you’re probably not going to get to sail in them—ever. They’re either just for pros, or so difficult and expensive they’re reserved for millionaires and billionaires.

But the 12-Meter class of boats (usually referred to as Twelves, maybe out of affection, maybe because the spelling of “meter” is subject to global debate) wants no part in that. This venerable category has it all: a historical pedigree second to none (they sailed in the 1908 Olympics), an active global fleet, a cohesive class association and a charter program that is both accessible and affordable.

These are boats that look and feel like boats. They do not fly on foils or capsize from instability.

The Twelves were first launched in 1907, and they are still being built (or re-built) today. They’re about 70 feet long and are designed to a measurement rule. They’re not all the same, but within their sub-class their weighting and measurements are similar that they can race against each other. In this way, design innovations, like modern underbodies and new rigs, are incorporated into the class. New and old boats have their own divisions.

Sailing’s legends like Olin Stephens have designed 12-Meter boats. Vim, a Stephens design built in 1939, is one of the most beloved Twelves of all time, and it’s still racing and winning in Europe. Philip Rhodes designed Weatherly, and she is still actively racing and available for charter in Newport, Rhode Island. Sparkman and Stephens designed Columbia, Intrepid and one that Ted Turner made famous in the 1977 America’s Cup, Courageous. All are still racing. And Columbia and Intrepid are available for charter.

The world’s most skilled skippers made their marks in the 12-Meter class: Dennis Connor; Ted Hood, Emil (Bus) Mosbacher; and of course, Ted Turner. All of them sailed Twelves in the America’s Cup.

The height of 12-Meter fever was during the 1958 to 1987 America’s Cup years—a long run by any standard. The Twelves were perfect for the post-J-Class era. Unlike the Js, which are mammoth, Twelves require a far smaller crew, are a fraction the size and cost, and can be modified easily as racing technology advances. These boats kept the Cup safely in American hands, demonstrating to the world, in the waters off Newport, that America had the best boats and best sailors. Now a series of regattas have been organized to celebrate the revival of the Twelves. This summer saw three: two in Newport and one in Martha’s Vineyard. All presented under the umbrella of “Road to the Worlds.” That “road” will end in 2019, in Newport, with the World Championships. Peter Gerard, Vice President of the America’s fleet, believes there will be 30 or more boats sailing for the trophies. Twelve of the boats are based in Newport, but the fleet is truly international; there are Twelves in 17 countries.

During the past few years, several old Twelves have been restored to their former glory. Others have had major upgrades. Freedom, an Olin Stephens design, has been completely redone. Defender, a David Pedrick design, has been salvaged and made new again. Defender’s owner, Dennis Williams, has also restored Victory 83. As he sees it, “We’re only guardians of these boats. We want to leave them better than we found them.” Several other owners agree.

For example, the Ben Lexcen-designed—Challenge XII, the sister ship to the revolutionary winged keel Australia II that snatched the Cup away for the first time in 1983—made its 2017 debut after a complete refit, winning its first regatta. Enterprise, another yacht from the fabled Sparkman and Stephens design board, is currently “in the shed” for a complete refit, in anticipation of being on the starting line in June 2018.

Peter Gerard pointed out that Twelves attract aficionados of yachts and history, not to mention beauty. “These yachts are thought to be amongst the most beautiful ever afloat. Their lines are graceful and they sail through the water like a proper yacht,” he said. The class is sailed by all Corinthian (amateur) crews. Clearly this is not about who has the biggest checkbook.”

The fleet is divided into four groups: Grand-Prix, Modern, Traditional and Vintage. There is also an antique category. The groupings reflect age, rudder and sail configurations, and a whole host of rating rule constraints. The hoped-for result is competitive racing without resorting to handicapping.

Aside from owning one of the Twelves, a one-half to million-dollar a year proposition between boat purchase and campaign costs, there is a way to participate in this exciting class revival: charter.

And for this, there’s a very active fleet. Current boats available for charter include Weatherly, Nefertiti, American Eagle, Intrepid, Columbia, Heritage, Gleam, Onawa, and Northern Light. One can rent them for a regatta, or for just a sail around the bay with family and friends. The Twelves are often used for corporate team-building exercises.

I have been fortunate enough to sail on chartered Twelves in regattas—once for the Opera House Cup in Martha’s Vineyard, and once for a guys’ weekend in Newport’s Narraganset Bay. I was also part of a group that sailed a Twelve in New York Harbor for a fundraiser. I had a blast each time. The Twelves are big but not too big, strong but not too overwhelming, powerful but not uncontrollable. Their graceful lines translate into a smooth knife through the water.

You can feel the historical lineage of all the legendary sailors who designed, built or skippered a Twelve. Their nautical spirits whisper to you through the rigging.

As Gerard says, “It’s hard to sail a more beautiful boat with such incredible history than a Twelve.” I would have to agree.

Author : Jonathan Russo has been a sailing enthusiast for 30 years. He sails his Sabre 38 “Sachem” and an Etchell’s from the Shelter Island Yacht Club. He has written about sailing and racing for Soundings, Scuttlebutt, and The Shelter Island Reporter.com.

Tags: 12 Metre , Jonathan Russo , Observer

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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 used in the Olympic Games of 1908, 1912 and 1920 but only few boats participated. The 12 Metre Class boats are probably best known for their use from 1958 to 1987 in the America’s Cup.

Rough equality between boats is ensured by requiring compliance with a formula that takes  account of the length at the waterline, the girth (the measurement around the boat from one sideboard; under the keel and then back over the top on the opposite side back to the original side) and the sail area. The very carefully specified measurements are then entered in to the formula, and the result must be 12 Metres – hence the name of the class. Designers are free to change any of these variables (as well as other details, such as the size of the rudder and keel, etc.), with the understanding that for any change in any of the measured attributes, something else will have to be adjusted, in order to make the formula produce the required value.

The “12 Metre” in the class name does not refer to the actual length of the boats, which ranged from 65 to 75 feet (about 20 to 23 m) overall. They were all sloop-rigged, with their masts typically being about 85 feet (26 m) tall. The “12 Metre” yachts are also referred to as “Twelves” or “12 Metres” or even 12s.

The Formula and associated rules for designing and constructing 12 Metre yachts has been modified several times from inception in racing.

The purpose of the Formula and rules was to encourage designer creativity to optimise designs to get the best overall performance when racing whilst maintaining competitive racing between the different designs. Although the Formula and Rules allowed some creativity they were also intended to be comprehensive enough to eliminate loopholes which could result in an extreme design which conformed to the 12 Metre rule but completely outclassed other contemporary designs on the race course. If the rules were considered to be too loose then it would discourage the building of new 12 Metre yachts for fear of a new boat being outclassed even before it was launched.

The Rules were typically updated in response to advances in areas such as material technology (e.g. metal masts versus wooden masts), design technology (e.g. use of the wind tunnel to design sails and sail/mast combinations, advances in fluid dynamics), and equipment (e.g. winch technology).

The Rule has four distinct periods:

Used from 1907–1920

• L  = waterline length (LWL)
• B  = beam
• G  = chain girth
• d  = difference between skin girth and chain girth
• S  = sail area
• F  = freeboard

Used from 1920–1933

Used from 1933–1939

Used from 1956 onwards:

Associated with the formula is an extremely comprehensive set of rules. The rules can be classified into two main areas. Rules concerning safety and rules to ensure competitive racing. For example the maximum total area of all cockpits is specified to minimise the chance of a boat being swamped in rougher seas. Structural requirements are specified to ensure that strength is not sacrificed by the need to get weight low down in the keel. Materials are specified plus numerous other details concerning all aspects of the boat. The intention is to challenge designers but ensure competitive racing.

Information courtesy of the ‘Australian Twelves Association’.

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Enterprise: Is this restored 12 Metre the best yacht to never contest the America’s Cup?

• November 19, 2019

Enterprise is a 1977 S&S-designed 12 Metre, originally built to defend the America’s Cup, and fully restored in time for this year’s 12 Metre World Championships in Rhode Island. Dave Powlison reports

Among the 21 elegant Twelves lining the docks at Rhode Island’s Fort Adams for this summer’s 12 Metre World Championship, sat a yacht that for many was a huge disappointment. Enterprise , built for the 1977 America’s Cup , had everything going for her, but never got the invitation to the Cup she seemed destined to receive. Today, she’s arguably the best set-up 12 Metre in the world.

Designed by Olin Stephens and David Pedrick at Sparkman & Stephens, and built of aluminium at the Minneford Yacht Yard, Enterprise boasted a number of firsts. She was the first design to be tank-tested on a large scale, with a handful of models measuring roughly 7m each, in tanks designed for the aerospace and military industries.

Results from those tests suggested that over a typical 24-mile America’s Cup course in an average 10-knot wind, Enterprise would be a minute faster than her rivals.  Enterprise was also the first yacht to pioneer laminate sails, using plastic films to stabilise the more conventional Dacron. Her sails included the ‘garbage bag’, a light airs genoa that (in colour, at least) suggested its moniker.

Enterprise posted two race wins in the 2019 12 Metre World Championships. Photo: Ian Roman

The 1977 Challenger matches were a rematch of the 1974 Courageous v Intrepid rivalry between upstart west coaster Lowell North and eastern establishment sailor Ted Hood.

At North’s right hand was sailmaking wunderkind John Marshall, who would be a dominant presence in Cup competitions for years to come. Many of Enterprise ’s crew had cut their 12 Metre teeth on Intrepid ’s successful 1970 Cup defence. In fact, Intrepid was brought out of retirement and trucked to San Diego to spar with the new design.

Yet it was Courageous , a 1974 design, that secured the spot to defend the Cup ( Courageous successfully saw off Alan Bond’s Australia in the Cup match). So what went wrong for Enterprise ? Anyone who knows the boat well won’t hesitate to respond. “ Enterprise had a foretriangle dimension that was about three feet shorter than what was conventional,” Marshall explained to me recently.

Enterprise hull is now painted battleship grey – the original colour was white

Most 12s have a 24ft foretriangle, give or take a bit. Enterprise ’s was 21ft. “Computer predictions that evaluated flow over surfaces suggested this would give us an edge,” Marshall recalled. But when it came to tacking, getting the stiff headsails quickly across was a challenge, as there was now 3ft more sail that had to pass around the front of the mast.

“The jib didn’t fill quite as quickly, and we didn’t accelerate quite as quickly coming out of tacks,” Marshall adds. In the early challenger races, Enterprise performed well. But as the summer progressed, Courageous got distinctly better. “Once the difference got down to being pretty small, and the boats were always close together, tacking performance became much more important.”

Consider that it wasn’t unheard of for 12 Metres to do over 50 tacks on a four-mile beat, and it’s clear why the writing was on the wall.

Article continues below…

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Back to her best

Fast-forward to 2019 and Enterprise is back in fighting form. After stints in the Med she had been donated to the US Merchant Marine Academy Sailing Foundation.

With the impetus of the forthcoming 2019 Worlds in Newport, a major refit was begun in earnest. Tommy Rich, from New England Boatworks, which carried out the refit, recalls: “The boat had been bastardised. They had put a flush deck on it and a bogus interior, and it was basically in a state of disrepair.”

The refit was done over roughly two years, and in that time virtually everything on the boat was upgraded or replaced, except the hull and framework.

The hull structure is one of the few parts of the boat that remains original

Rich explains: “S&S, along with David Pedrick, designed a new keel. The boat got a more modern spade rudder to replace the old, barn-door type, and a more modern deck. That included new cockpits and a spinnaker pole trough – basically all the working deck – as well as a new chainplate structure.”

The boat received a new rig: an aluminium mast, as per the class rules, but with carbon used everywhere else, as well as all-new Harken hydraulics. And, of course, the ‘J’ foretriangle dimension is at 24ft once again.

For this level of investment in time and money, there was just one goal: to win the World Championship. Enterprise was chartered by Clay Deutsch for the summer, but the race started even before she had hit the water. “The challenge for us has been the calendar,” says Deutsch. “We didn’t have the boat in a position to go sailing until the end of May. And it’s pretty humbling how long it takes to get these boats dialed in.”

Double wheels: outer one for steering; inner one for trim tab control

Nevertheless, her pedigree showed quickly. In her first competition in Newport this summer, Enterprise posted a pair of 1sts in the two final races. In the 2019 World Championship in Newport she finished a solid 2nd overall in the Modern Division to the more seasoned Challenge XII .

For Deutsch, the 12 Metre seed was planted long ago. “When I was a kid, while other kids had baseball and football cards, I had an Intrepid scrapbook, and I have always fantasised about 12 Metres. Then, out of the blue this past winter, North Sails’ Mike Toppa came to me with, ‘What about Enterprise ?’ It was the furthest thing from my mind, and I just figured we wouldn’t be there.”

But Deutsch was persuaded, and work shifted into a frenzied pitch at New England Boatworks. “I remember when I first looked at it, and it was in a million pieces, and I said: ‘I’m not a professional, but my amateur opinion is that this boat has no chance of being ready.’

Asymmetric foredeck hatches – the port hatch has a roller on the aft side for spinnaker take downs

“But Ben Quatromoni, the project manager, and his team jumped on it, working around the clock, and we made it to the starting line.” Today Enterprise ’s decks today are remarkably spartan for a 12 Metre: it’s 1977 meets 2019 technology, with lots of carbon. “The boat setup is complicated,” says Quatromoni, “but it’s very user-friendly.”

The port foredeck hatch has a roller on the aft side, TP52 -style, for the string take down spinnaker system. Once around the roller, the chute is pulled through a Dacron tube that runs to the stern. With the grinders working in unison, the sail disappears in five seconds.

Control lines run through custom-made carbon ‘trumpets’, allowing them move effortlessly out of sight. Carbon reels take up the halyards. These are ratchet system reels, where one control line spins the reel, bringing the halyard in, and another control line releases it. Unlike those reels, the spinnaker take-down reel is powered off the pedestals.

The spinnaker take down bag; the spinnaker comes down through the forward deck hatch and is pulled through this long Dacron bag

The aluminium cockpit has been lowered to get the grinders down and allow the boom to just avoid grazing the deck when fully sheeted in. But the boom is low. “Man, is it crowded,” says Deutsch. “I can barely fit under the boom – when we’re tacking, I’m literally down on all fours.”

The port and starboard jib trimmer pits have hydraulic controls for the jib tack and jib leads, which is standard for the Twelves. As on most 12 Metres, below decks is anything but simple.

The 150ft of mainsheet runs from the traveller car up into the boom, forward to the gooseneck, below deck, then aft to a turning block where it goes up into the mainsheet pod. Rather than using a winch for the traveller, the car is controlled by a Harken magic wheel below decks, with a 17:1 purchase.

With so many hydraulic systems, continual pumping is required to keep them pressurised, and the aft cockpit pedestal is set up to run a rotary pump, mounted below, for that purpose. For trimmers, there’s no downtime. Once they’ve finished trimming, it’s back to pumping to keep the hydraulics powered up.

The workmanship on many of the systems is truly extraordinary. The turning blocks for the spinnaker sheet and guy are so inconspicuous as to be barely noticeable. The traveller control line looks as if it has been simply laid on deck.  Enterprise ’s original white hull is now battleship grey. Coupled with black spars, the effect is stunning.

Specification

LOA: 20.15m (66ft 1in) LWL : 13.41m (44ft 0in) Beam: 3.78m   ( 12ft 5in) Draught: 3.78m   ( 12ft 5in) Displacement: 25.7 tonnes Sail area: 168m 2  (1,808ft 2 ) Design: Sparkman & Stephens Year: 1977 Builder: Minneford Yacht Yard, Inc.

About the author

Dave Powlison has been writing about sailing since the late 1970s and is currently an editor-at-large for Sailing World magazine. When not writing, he races Etchells and an RS Aeros in Vermont, USA.

First published in the November 2019 edition of Yachting World.

The NYHSF 12 Meter Program

Click here for the 2022 12 Meter Heritage Regatta

The New York Harbor Sailing Foundation’s  12 Meter Program  is an invitation to a select group of sailing enthusiasts to help support and preserve two America’s Cup 12 Meters. These yachts are important pieces of American yachting history.

The 12 Meter class has inspired many generations of sailors. They are iconic and majestic yachts which personify the beauty of sailing.  12 Meters are the pinnacle of American yachting tradition.

12 Meters & the America’s Cup

In 1907, the International Rule (also known as the Meter Rule) was established by the new International Yacht Racing Union to coordinate international racing. This rule led to the development of the many classes and the most popular were the 15 Meter, 12 Meter, 8 Meter and 6 Meter. 12 Meters were used in the Olympics from 1908 to 1920 and over the years, more than 300 yachts have been built under the 12 Meter rule.

In 1958, the 12 Meter class was selected to revive the America’s Cup Races. This catapulted the 12 Meter class into the limelight and they became the most iconic and famous yachts in American history.

12 Meters raced for the America’s Cup from 1958 to 1987. The names of yachts like Intrepid, Courageous, Australia II and Stars & Stripes helped define these generations.

12 Meters in the America’s Cup Finals, 1958 to 1983

When Australia won the America’s Cup in 1983, many tears were shed. But in fact, this loss would lead to the greatest America’s Cup in history, and the peak of the 12 Meter class. Here comes 1987 and one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.

1987 & the Greatest Year of the America’s Cup

America II (US 46) Comes to NY Harbor

On the 20 th Anniversary of the Manhattan Yacht Club in 2007, a group of visionary Members responded to the Commodore’s suggestion to commemorate the occasion by doing something special – acquiring a 12 Meter. This is how US 46 came to New York harbor. Read more about this story .

Acquisition of the Second 12 Meter

Frequently in life, the most interesting opportunities arrive at the most inopportune times. In 2015, the opportunity arrived to acquire a second 12 Meter, US 46’s sistership. The Foundation decided to “Go For It.”  Read more about this story. 

What our program is trying to accomplish:

The main goal of the New York Harbor Sailing Foundation’s 12 Meter Program is: to be a good caretaker of these important pieces of American yachting history.

This means raising enough money to properly restore, maintain and preserve these 12 Meters. This also means building an endowment so the 12 Meters continue to inspire after we are gone. And finally, this means sailing these iconic 12 Meters so they inspire and engage more people.

We accomplish these goals by inviting people who care about sailing and historic preservation to join our 12 Meter Syndicate  “ Syndicate Member ” and make annual donations to support this program. In addition to donations made by Syndicate Members, the Foundation generates revenue by selling tickets to paying passengers and offering private charters. Our main annual fundraiser is the 12 Meter Dinner before the Sailors Ball in April.

How You Can Get Involved

If you are a sailing enthusiast and would like to help with the restoration and preservation of these iconic 12 Meters, please consider this an invitation to join the effort. This is a rare opportunity to be part of something historically significant and special.

CLICK HERE to Join the NYHSF 12 Meter Syndicate

You do not have to be an experienced sailor to support this mission of historic preservation. If you are a novice sailor or just a sailing enthusiast, this is an opportunity to get more involved in the world of sailing.

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12 METRE RACING

Philipsburg, Sint Maarten

EXPERIENCE THE CARIBBEAN'S ULTIMATE SAILING ADVENTURE

Become part of the crew as you actively take part in manning an authentic sailing yacht that once competed in the prestigious America’s Cup.

VOTED THE #1 SHORE EXCURSION IN THE CARIBBEAN FOR 15 YEARS AND #3  TOP 10 CARIBBEAN ATTRACTION BY USA TODAY  

THE EXPERIENCE

Choose to actively participate – grinding winches, trimming sails, punching a stopwatch – or you can sit back and enjoy the invigorating ride! The choice is yours.

Join our crew and participate in a competitive, head-to-head race between authentic America’s Cup race boats. The most unique and immersive experience in the Carribbean, guaranteed to leave you breathless, exhilarated and feeling like a sailing pro!

Our  legendary 12 Metre Class race boats  are the thoroughbreds of the racing world. Past America’s Cup winners and contenders, each vessel is the culmination of multi-million dollar efforts and years of testing to achieve maximum speed and agility.

ST. MAARTEN 12 METRE RACING

St. Maarten Twelve Metre Racing is a physically and culturally immersive, historic sailing experience that allows our guests to compete against one another as integral working members of the crew.

Except for some guest safety enhancements, all boats in the 12 Metre fleet have been exquisitely maintained in original form. They boast the same caliber of performance and racing experience that they delivered in the 1987 America’s Cup.

Fantastic experience. The crew was friendly and informative, and the competition quite exhilarating.

Boris Pelakh

If you sail it is an experience not to be missed. All of the crew and staff are amazing - I can't praise or recommend them enough!

Eric Bailey

I had a blast racing on Stars and Stripes when I visited St. Martin in 2005. I still have my now 17 year old 12 Metre T shirt!

Craig Ewing

© 2024 12 Metre Yacht Club, All rights reserved.

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Related members, related boats.

Event Details

East Coast 12-Meter Class

Class contact information.

Click below

Class Email

Class Website

One-Design Class Type: Radio Control

Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Both

Approximately how many class members do you have? 578

Photo Credit:Paul Figura

Photo Credit: Paul Figura

Photo Credit:

About East Coast 12-Meter Class

The EC12 is a one-design radio controlled yacht about 59 inches in length, a mast standing 72 inches above the deck, supporting about 1300 square inches of sail and weighing around 24 pounds. The class is one of the premier R/C Yachts in the American Model Yachting Association. The Class is well organized energetic and active with over 500 members hosting over 20 two-day sailing regattas throughout the East Coast and the Midwest. The posted sailing schedule is 12 months a year. Local clubs offer additional weekly and monthly club events. The group is eager and quick to share building tips, resources and help.

Boats Produced: Over 3,000 boats have been built since the class was formed 50 years ago.

Class boat builder(s):

Brewhouse Boat Works, Peach Tree City, GA [email protected] Chesapeake Performance Models, Stevensville, MD [email protected] Blue Crab Model Yachts, Cambridge, MD [email protected]

Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America? 90% of the boats are in the USA and Canada. 8% are in Australia and New Zealand. The remaining 2% are in Enagland and Europe.

Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:

The class is most active from Florida to the New England states all the way along the East Coast. The Midwest Region is also active and is growing. Texas is starting to grow some fleets as well.

Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? No

How many people sail as a crew including the helm?  one

Ideal combined weight of range of crew:  N/A

Portsmouth Yardstick Rating:   N/A

Boat Designed in  The EC12 was designed by Charlie Morgan. It boat was build from a tank test model Charlie was working on for the America’s Cup in the early 60s. The first EC12 hit the water in 1970.

Length (feet/inches): 59″

Beam: 11.5″

Weight of rigged boat without sails: 22-24 lbs

Draft: 7.875″

Mast Height: 72″ above the deck

Class Rules (PDF Doc)

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Pontoon Furniture

• Premium Seats
• Classic Seats
• Seat Pedestals
• Seat Vinyl Samples

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Pontoon Boat Volt Meter

Description.

Renew your boats volt meter with this new DeckMate battery volt meter. 

Get accurate readings on your current voltage status to make sure you have enough power to get where you need to go! 

• Bezel Outside Diameter:    2.375" • Hole Size required: 2"

✓   6 year warranty on DeckMate Boat Seats

✓   6 year warranty on deckmate woven vinyl flooring, ✓   3 year warranty on all other carpet & flooring, ✓   3 year warranty on bimini tops, ✓   1 year warranty on everything else.

Our success is tied directly to our ability to provide you with superior products, fast shipping, and the best customer service. Exceptional products and excellent service are our top priorities!

Warranty claims are always handled quickly. We don't pass you off to some other manufacturer - we warranty all of the replacement boat seats we sell. You can expect quick answers and solutions in the rare case that you have a problem.

There is never any cost to you in the event of damage during shipping.

DeckMate® Boat Seats - 6 Year Warranty

• Industry leading warranty - All of our boat seats have a 6 year, full replacement warranty. If anything goes wrong, we will send you brand new seats without hassle or cost to you.
• We will ask for images of the defects so we can make immediate improvements in our production.
• We will send replacement boat seats to you as soon as you provide us with images.
• We do not need the defective boat seats back, and you are never required to pay shipping.
• We spend extra money on packaging to ensure your new boat seats will ship safely, but there is always the chance rough handling or stacking could damage the upholstery or parts. If this happens, just give us a call.

DeckMate® Woven Vinyl Flooring - 6 Year Warranty

• Industry leading warranty - Our Woven Vinyl has a 6 year, full replacement warranty. If anything goes wrong, we will send you brand new flooring without hassle or cost to you.
• We will send replacement flooring to you as soon as you provide us with images.
• We do not need the defective  flooring back , and you are never required to pay shipping.
• We spend extra money on packaging to ensure your new flooring will ship safely, but there is always the chance rough handling or stacking could damage the flooring. If this happens, just give us a call.

Carpet & Flooring - 3 Year Warranty

• All of our carpeting and flooring is marine grade and it is protected by a 3 year warranty, which includes fading and deterioration.

Bimini Tops - 3 Year Warranty

• Full replacement   on defective bimini tops. If your bimini top arrives with any defects or quality issues, we will pay to return and replace your bimini top immediately.

All Other Products - 1 Year Warranty

• All of our non-seating or flooring products (other than carpet and vinyl flooring) have a 1 year warranty.

It is important to us that our customers know we will support them after the sale. We will take care of any problems you have quickly and at no cost to you, as we personally warranty everything we sell.

For more information about our warranty, please call us at (877) 295-9522.

Shipping is free on any order over $100; orders under $100 has a shipping fee of $9.99. Place an order on a business day by 4 p.m. EST and in stock seats and accessories will ship the same day! No slow shipping times to save money, PontoonStuff® only ships orders using FedEx and our products will arrive to your home quickly. Map below shows time in transit.

Pontoon decking kits will be shipped using FedEx Freight services (semi-truck) and require a phone number to schedule delivery (free shipping).

Please note that decking kits take additional time to process and may not ship for up to 72 business hrs.

• We will only ship within the contiguous U.S.
• ***If you are looking to purchase items to ship to Canada, please visit  https://www.canadapontoon.com/en/

Pontoon boat carpet orders

In order to offer you the best prices we ship all pontoon boat carpet orders directly from our carpet mill in Georgia. If you order pontoon boat furniture and carpet, you may receive one shipment sooner than the other depending on your location.

International Orders

We do not accept international orders, no exceptions.

Payment & Security

Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.

Refund Policy

Returns Our policy lasts 30 days. If 30 days have gone by since your purchase, unfortunately we can’t offer you a refund or exchange.

To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.

Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.

Additional non-returnable items: Gift cards Downloadable software products Some health and personal care items

To complete your return, we require a receipt or proof of purchase.

Please do not send your purchase back to the manufacturer.

There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable) Book with obvious signs of use CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery

Refunds (if applicable) Once your return is received and inspected, we will send you an email to notify you that we have received your returned item. We will also notify you of the approval or rejection of your refund. If you are approved, then your refund will be processed, and a credit will automatically be applied to your credit card or original method of payment, within a certain amount of days.

Late or missing refunds (if applicable) If you haven’t received a refund yet, first check your bank account again. Then contact your credit card company, it may take some time before your refund is officially posted. Next contact your bank. There is often some processing time before a refund is posted. If you’ve done all of this and you still have not received your refund yet, please contact us at [email protected].

Sale items (if applicable) Only regular priced items may be refunded, unfortunately sale items cannot be refunded.

Exchanges (if applicable) We only replace items if they are defective or damaged. If you need to exchange it for the same item, send us an email at [email protected] and send your item to: 1165 Fremont Court Elkhart Indiana US 46516.

Gifts If the item was marked as a gift when purchased and shipped directly to you, you’ll receive a gift credit for the value of your return. Once the returned item is received, a gift certificate will be mailed to you.

If the item wasn’t marked as a gift when purchased, or the gift giver had the order shipped to themselves to give to you later, we will send a refund to the gift giver and he will find out about your return.

Shipping To return your product, you should mail your product to: 1165 Fremont Court Elkhart Indiana US 46516

You will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.

Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.

If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.

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