Going old school for 12mR World Champs

The importance of the America’s Cup comes from its history, and those chapters are kept alive by the continued presence of those yachts that once fought for the trophy. With over 90 built, the 12 Metre Class rings the bell loudest, and has endured long after its America’s Cup era from 1958 to 1987.

A reunion of the class will occur again when these storied yachts gather at the 2021 12mR World Championship on August 16- 22 in Helsinki, Finland. But unlike the 2021 America’s Cup when the yachts arrived by ship or Antonov cargo jet, many of the 12s for the Worlds are going old school.

At least a dozen of the Vintage 12mR yachts are expected to arrive on their own keels from Germany, Denmark, and Sweden to join Finland’s Blue Marlin (FIN-1) and challenge Italy’s reigning World Champion, Nyala (US-12).

The development of the Twelve Metre Class is categorized into five distinct divisions based on age and class rule development, with the Vintage division for sloops built before 1950.

Many of these yachts will depart in company from Flensburg, Germany in mid-July for the journey of more than 1300 nautical miles through the waters of Denmark and Sweden where elaborate pre-Worlds events are planned at Stockholm and Sandhamn.

With fifteen yachts registered to date, the 2021 World Championship is slated to be the biggest 12mR event ever held in the Nordics. Finland’s first pre-war 12mR – Blue Marlin (FIN-1), owned by Henrik Andersin, was the inspiration for bringing the event to Helsinki.

“Little did I know that when I relaunched Blue Marlin in 2014 that I would be racing 14 of her kind in my home waters just a few years later. This means a great deal to me personally,” said Andersin who has been instrumental in planning the Worlds as Event Chairman.

Event details: https://12mrworlds.com/