1958 America's Cup

Yacht race

17th America's Cup
Defender United States
Columbia (right) in 2011
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
← 1937 1962 →

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.

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 leeward^a	Columbia	Sceptre	5:13:56	7:45	1-0	4.59
September 24, 1958	24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi), triangular^b	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