Oldest videos of 12 Metre class yachts sailing

by Magnus Smith 24 Dec 2023 04:00 PST

Dame Pattie (KA-2) © Southern Woodenboat Sailing

Our video archive is fully searchable, and linked to all the clubs and classes in our database. It is updated weekly with the latest videos of sailing, but here we delve into the past, and round-up everything that shows sailing in the 12 Metre class, since we have so many to choose from.

1930s

Our oldest videos are from the 1930s, and perhaps show a time when the 12 Metres attracted less publicity than the J Class, hence the majority of screen time is devoted to the latter. If you want to catch a quick glimpse of early 12 Metres in the UK, see Royal Harwich YC season opens in 1933 or Harwich Regatta 1934 but there is sadly not much detail to observe.

Better footage of the 12s is available in the video of Cowes Week 1937 below, which includes a quick glimpse at what well-dressed ladies of the time were wearing!

Heading back to the east coast of the UK, a newsreel about the 1939 Royal Harwich YC Regatta includes the US-flagged 12 Metre 'Vim'. But was her mast really made from stainless steel or has the announcer got it wrong?!

There's a good chance to observe the lines of 'Vim' as she is loaded onto a ship in Southampton, UK for transportation back to the USA. This is 1939. 25926

Finally from this decade there is a little look at 12 Metres during Cowes Regatta 1939, which is short, but does show spinnakers (which we haven't seen in the above videos).

1950s

We have only one video from the 1950s 'Sceptre' sailing at Poole in 1958 which shows the deck layout and sailors more clearly that other videos.

1960s

The decade starts in colour! 12m class racing (1960) with 'Sceptre', 'Flica' and 'Miquette' has some great close-ups.

Cowes Week 1961 includes footage on board 'Sceptre' at 1m50s (you may want to skip straight to this point, unless watching royalty disembark fascinates you).

Taken at the same time, unused footage (totally silent) also shows great close-ups of 'Sceptre' (Cowes Regatta 1961).

At last we have a video from outside the UK! Australia saw the Launch of 12 Metre 'Gretel' in Sydney in 1962. What high hopes they must have had on that day, but it was a long wait for their nation to break the American hold on the Auld Mug.

From 1963 we have footage of Sailmaking at Bruce Banks loft which includes time on board 'Sovereign' in training afterwards.

The same yacht appears with 'Constellation' during 12 Metre training in Marseille from 1964.

Last of all, there is America's Cup racing at Rhode Island with 'Constellation' and 'Sovereign', also from 1964.

What of the other decades?

Do you know the location of any 12 metre videos from the 1940s, 70s or 90s? We would love to share these with other sailors. You can submit video links to us for immediate review.

Keep watching with:

We must end with this fantastic photo of 'Constellation'. What a beautiful class the 12s are...