I2 US I6 Columbia

1958 America's Cup Winner

America’s Cup Winner! In 1958 a new class of sailboats, the I2 Meter class, was introduced as the racing class of the America’s Cup. Off the coast of Newport, Rhode Island sleek and fast, Columbia (I2 Meter US-I6) stunned its competition with a sweeping win of the first I2 Meter America’s Cup, proving that I2 Meters were justifiable competitors in the coveted America’s Cup!

Commodore Henry Sears and Briggs Cunningham, along with other financial investors, formed one of the New York Yacht Club’s syndicates for the 1958 America’s Cup and commissioned Columbia to be their racer. They hired Olin Stephens of Sparkman & Stephens to design Columbia and she was to be built at the well known Nevins Boatyard in New York.

In 1964 Columbia was purchased by Thomas Patrick Dougan of Southampton, NY and Newport Beach. In 1966 her hull was altered, and although she performed well, she was dominated by Intrepid in the Defender Trials that year. In 1967 she won the Caritas Cup (NYYC) and the Lipton Memorial Trophy. In 1975 she was purchased by the Swedish Syndicate as a trial horse to Sverige.

In 1976 Columbia was purchased by Pelle Petterson who modified her and sold her on to Xavier Rougert-Luchaire who used her as the trial horse to Lionheart in 1979. Her homeport was Cannes, France until 2000 when she was brought “home” to Newport by Paul Gardener and Bill Collins, owned by Alain Hanover

Purchased by Kevin Hegarty, 12mR Yacht Charters and was rebuilt at New England Boat Works (Portsmouth,RI) with a new keel designed by David Pedrick.