True North II & IV

Design & Rule Context

True North II originated as a Third Rule International Twelve Metre project developed during Canada’s Challenge for the 1987 America’s Cup. The yacht was conceived as part of the broader Canadian effort that also produced True North I (KC-87), during the final and most competitive era of the Twelve Metre Class.

Construction History (True North II)

Construction of True North II began in 1986 under the ownership of True North Yachting Challenges, Inc., with Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada) listed as her intended home port.

In March 1986, construction was halted when the True North Challenge of Canada combined its America’s Cup campaign with the Secret Cove Challenge. Following this merger, the unified syndicate elected to continue with Canada II, and the True North II hull was left incomplete.

At this stage, True North II:

  • Existed only as an unfinished hull

  • Was never post-construction measured

  • Was never surveyed by Lloyd’s

  • Did not achieve classed status under the 12 Metre Rule

Completion & Renaming (True North IV)

The unfinished hull of True North II was subsequently sold to private interests and later completed in 1993 for commercial use rather than competition. Upon completion, the yacht entered the day-charter fleet in the Netherlands Antilles / St. Maarten, operating alongside other former Twelve Metres.

At this point, the yacht was renamed True North IV, adopting the naming convention used within the Caribbean charter fleet. The Roman numeral designation reflects fleet branding, not class lineage or original Cup campaign numbering.

Despite completion and active sailing use, the yacht:

  • Was not submitted for post-construction class measurement

  • Did not receive a Lloyd’s 12 Metre certificate

  • Remained unclassed, notwithstanding her Third Rule origins

Ownership

  • 1985–1986: True North Yachting Challenges, Inc. (as True North II, during construction phase)

  • 1993 onward: Private ownership / charter operation (as True North IV)

Historical Significance

True North II / True North IV represents a rare and instructive case in Twelve Metre history: a Cup-era hull begun for America’s Cup competition, abandoned during syndicate consolidation, and later repurposed for commercial sailing without ever achieving formal class measurement.

Her story illustrates the financial and strategic pressures that characterized the final Third Rule America’s Cup cycle, and explains the persistent confusion surrounding the True North naming sequence. Properly understood, True North II and True North IV are the same physical hull at different stages of completion and use, but not the same class identity as a measured Twelve Metre.