Trivia 12 K 10

Origins and Early Triumphs (1937–1939)

TRIVIA was built in 1937 by Camper & Nicholsons for Mr. Vernon W. MacAndrew and immediately proved herself among the top Twelve Metres, winning her class in her debut season. The following year at Cowes Week, MacAndrew helmed her to 21 victories, including the prestigious King’s Cup. Her close rivalry with Charles Nicholson’s EVAINE became legendary—Yachting Monthly described it as “a new chapter in English yacht racing.”

By 1939, the Twelve Metre class had become the centerpiece of international yacht design. Leading designers—Fife, Mylne, Nicholson, and Stephens—launched groundbreaking boats such as FLICA II, JENETTA, TOMAHAWK, and VIM. While VIM ushered in a new era of innovation, TRIVIA and EVAINE remained strong contenders, closing a golden age of classic design before World War II.

War and Loss (1940)

Racing ceased with the outbreak of war. Vernon MacAndrew was killed in 1940 when his converted patrol yacht Campeador struck a German mine. His heroism was later chronicled in Cecil Hunt’s The Gallant Little Campeador.

The Norwegian Years (1948–1958)

After the war, TRIVIA was sold to Charles Ulrick Bay, U.S. ambassador to Norway, and renamed NORSAGA. Sailing from Oslo, Bay helped revive 12-Metre racing in Scandinavia, joining a vibrant fleet of over twenty boats. His logbooks record races against Vema III, Blue Marlin, and Thea, and voyages with distinguished guests—including Norway’s royal family, whose signatures still grace the pages.

Following Bay’s death in 1955, his wife Josephine continued to sail NORSAGA until 1958.

Return to Cowes and America’s Cup Trials (1959–1964)

In 1959, Lord Craigmyle repatriated TRIVIA for the Red Duster Syndicate’s 1962 America’s Cup ambitions. Modified by John Arthur Robb in 1963, she astonished the fleet at Cowes Week, once again defeating Evaine, Flica II, Sceptre, and the new Sovereign. She served as a trial horse during the 1964 Cup preparations and was later sold to Harry J. Ziemann, who campaigned her on Lake Michigan.

Great Lakes Champion (1968–1970s)

Under Ziemann, TRIVIA made history in the 1968 Chicago-Mackinac Race, surviving 60-knot squalls to finish first across the line and fifth fastest in race history. She repeated her victory the following year in light winds. Later renamed PHOENIX, she sailed in the U.S. until an accident left her sunk in the 1970s. Her hull was recovered and returned to England in the 1980s for restoration.

Restoration and Revival (1991–2000)

A full restoration began in 1991 at Camper & Nicholsons under designers Giorgetti & Magrini, restoring TRIVIA to her 1937 specifications. Homeported in Monaco, she returned to competition with impressive success—winning the Porto Cervo Regatta (1993), Coupe des Yacht Clubs de France, and Voiles de Saint-Tropez (2000).

A New Century of Racing (2001–Present)

TRIVIA joined the 150th America’s Cup Jubilee in Cowes in 2001, among 36 Twelves celebrating a century of yacht racing history. Since 2002, she has raced with the Baltic Fleet, winning the Robbe & Berking Cup and Europe Week (2003). In 2007, she triumphed again on the Metre Class Centennial Tour, winning 10 of 18 races and topping the Vintage Division. The following year she placed second at the 12 Metre World Championship in Flensburg—behind Nyala—and first overall in the Baltic Cup.