Boat Den

Design 239 Northern Light

The 12-meter racing yacht Northern Light (US14) was built for Alfred Lee Loomis, Jr. by Henry B. Nevins of City Island, New York. She is double planked of mahogany over cedar. Loomis had sailed on the 12-meter Gleam (also built at Nevins - designed by Clinton Crane) and wanted a boat like her. He approached Sparkman & Stephens who at that time had an office at the Nevins yard for his new design. This was the second 12-meter designed by the firm, the first being Nyala (more about her in a future posting).

The boat was a success, winning the Long Island Sound 12-Meter Championship in 1938, the year of her launch. Eventually, World War II put a stop to 12-meter racing and the boat was placed in storage until 1958 at which time 12-meter racing resumed. Northern Light was then used as a trial horse against the new Columbia.

Ultimately the boat wallowed dockside in Michigan and was nearly lost for good until a new owner purchased her in 1984 and restored her to her present condition. She now sails out of Newport, Rhode Island.

I snapped these images in New York Harbor last year.


Here are the plans.


Heres a nice close up of her Nevins-built coffee grinders.


And an S&S type plan to go with them.