''Freedom'' (12 meter US-30) is a

12-metre class The 12 Metre class is a rating class for racing sailboats that are 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. ...

racing

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

and winner of the 1980 America's Cup, defeating the challenging yacht ''Australia'' under skipper

Dennis Conner Dennis Walter Conner (born September 16, 1942) is an American yachtsman. He is noted for winning a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics, two Star World Championships, and three wins in the America's Cup. Sailing career Conner was born September ...

. ''Freedom'' was designed with an alloy rather than a wood hull by

Olin Stephens Olin James Stephens II (April 13, 1908 – September 13, 2008) was an American yacht designer. Stephens was born in New York City, but spent his summers with his brother Rod, learning to sail on the New England coast. He also attended the Massa ...

and

Bill Langan Michael William Langan, (Bill Langan), (June 9, 1955 – December 31, 2010) was an American yacht designer who practiced his trade in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. His designs, both as chief designer at Sparkman & Stephens and later as th ...

, and constructed at Minneford Yacht Yard. She was skippered in the Cup by

. Today ''Freedom'' is available for charter out of

Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...

from America's Cup Charters, along with fellow America's Cup winners '' Intrepid'' and '' Weatherly''.

References

* America's Cup defenders Individual sailing vessels 12-metre class yachts Yachts of New York Yacht Club members Sailboat type designs by Olin Stephens Sailboat type designs by Sparkman and Stephens 1980s sailing yachts Sailing yachts built in the United States 1980 America's Cup {{boat-stub