Spirit of America 12 US 34
Design and Concept
Spirit of America (US-34) was an International 12 Metre yacht built to the International Third Rule for the 1983 America’s Cup defense. She was designed by Bill Langan of Sparkman & Stephens as part of the America’s Cup defender program led by Dennis Conner.
The yacht was conceived as a “large, light twelve,” representing a deliberate departure from the more conservative Third Rule designs of the period. Her concept emphasized increased size and reduced displacement in an effort to explore new performance boundaries within the rule.
Construction and Campaign
Spirit of America was built during 1982–1983 for the Freedom Campaign ’83, with her home port listed as New York, New York. She was associated with SUNY Maritime College at Fort Schuyler, reflecting the institutional support behind the American defender effort.
Although designed specifically for the defender trials of the 1983 America’s Cup, Spirit of America ultimately did not compete. Sea trials revealed that, in her original configuration, she was not sufficiently competitive, and she was judged to be too slow relative to other contenders in the defender fleet.
Redesign and Transformation
Rather than being abandoned, Spirit of America became a critical development platform. Her hull was redesigned and rebuilt, with substantial modifications made to the original structure. This rebuilt yacht emerged as Stars & Stripes ’83, the final defender selected to represent the United States in the 1983 Match.
The transformation of Spirit of America into Stars & Stripes ’83 makes her historically significant, as the yacht’s hull and design philosophy directly underpinned the defender that ultimately faced Australia II in the 1983 America’s Cup.
Historical Significance
While Spirit of America never raced in the trials under her original name, she occupies an important place in Twelve Metre history as:
A radical Third Rule design exploring the “large, light twelve” concept
A key developmental predecessor to Stars & Stripes ’83
A tangible example of the high-risk, high-innovation approach taken by the U.S. defender in 1983
A yacht whose redesign reflects the intense trial-and-error process characteristic of late-era Twelve Metre America’s Cup campaigns
Legacy
Spirit of America (US-34) stands as a reminder that not all influential Twelve Metres are those that crossed the starting line. Her role as the design and structural basis for Stars & Stripes ’83 ensures her place in the technical and historical narrative of the 12 Metre class and the final, dramatic years of Twelve Metre competition in the America’s Cup.