Gretel II

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Gretel II
Gretel II on Sydney Harbour in December 2015
Yacht club Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
Nation Australia
Class12 Metre
Sail noKA-3
Designer(s)Alan Payne
BuilderBill Barnett
Launched10 April 1970
Owner(s)Frank Packer
Racing career
SkippersJames Hardy
Gordon Ingate
America's Cup1970
1977
Specifications
Displacement31.5 tonnes
Length18.97 metres
Beam3.72 metres
CrewJohn Anderson
John Bertrand
David Forbes

Gretel II is a 12 Metre yacht built for the 1970 America's Cup designed by Alan Payne and built by Bill Barnett for Frank Packer.[1]

1970 America's Cup

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Packer returned to Newport, Rhode Island to challenge for the 1970 America's Cup with his new 12 Metre yacht Gretel II representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.[2] It was the last of the wooden-hulled America's Cup yachts.[3] Gretel II was skippered by Jim Hardy with Martin Visser as tactician and starting helmsman and Bill Fesq as navigator. The crew included future Olympic Star class gold medallists John Anderson and David Forbes, and future America's Cup winning skipper John Bertrand as port trimmer.[4]

After defeating Marcel Bich’s France in the challenger selection series 4–0, the Australian yacht took on the American defender Intrepid, skippered by Bill Ficker in a best-of-seven race series.

Intrepid won the first race when Gretel II's David Forbes was swept overboard but managed to hang onto the sail and scramble back on board.[5] Then in a controversial second race, Gretel II crossed the finish line 1 minute 7 seconds ahead, but due to a collision at the start the Australian challenger was disqualified. Intrepid won the third race but Gretel II recorded a win in the fourth race by a margin of 1 minute 2 seconds. Intrepid then took out the fifth race to win the America's Cup 4–1.

Many observers, such as 1977 America's Cup winning skipper Ted Turner, believed that Gretel II was a faster boat than Intrepid but that the tactical cunning of Bill Ficker and Steve Van Dyke and the performance of the American crew were the deciding factors in the Americans' victory.[6]

1977 America's Cup

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Gretel II served as a trial horse for Alan Bond’s Southern Cross in the lead up to the 1974 America's Cup.[7] In the 1977 America's Cup Gretel II, skippered by Gordon Ingate, was one of four yachts vying to challenge for the cup.[8] Her wooden decking was replaced with aluminium for the new campaign. The yacht was eliminated by Swedish entrant Sverige during the challenger selection trials.[9] The new Alan Bond yacht Australia won the right to challenge but lost to the Americans.

After a period with the Sydney Heritage Fleet, Gretel II was purchased by Michael Maxwell in 2005 and restored in New Zealand.[10] As at 2020, it was berthed at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.[11][12]

References

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  1. ^ Bill Barnett: an incredible builder, designer and competitor Afloat
  2. ^ Naming of Gretel II Australian Women's Weekly 29 April 1970 page 11
  3. ^ A star reborn Sails October 2011
  4. ^ John Bertrand; Patrick Robinson (1985). Born to win: a lifelong struggle to capture the America's Cup. William Morrow & Company. p. 271. ISBN 0688043496.
  5. ^ Vernon Hines (1986). About the America's Cup. Bookcliff Publishing Company. p. 82. ISBN 0940089009.
  6. ^ Richard Simpson (1999). The America's Cup Yachts: The Rhode Island Connection. Arcadia Publishing. p. 119. ISBN 9781439610077.
  7. ^ Local yachtsman for Gretel II Port Lincoln Times 16 November 1972 page 3
  8. ^ New Challenge by Gretal II Canberra Times 2 November 1976 page 20
  9. ^ Sverige sentimental favourite after beating Gretel II Canberra Times 23 August 1977 page 20
  10. ^ Gretel II returns to racing with Royal Sydney Yacht Squardon Sail World 3 September 2009
  11. ^ Summer of sail launched on Derwent Derwent Sailing Squadron 6 October 2018
  12. ^ Gretel II turned 50 in Hobart today Sail World 10 April 2020
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Media related to Gretel II at Wikimedia Commons