Columbia (1958 yacht)
Columbia was the successful defender of the 1958 America's Cup for the New York Yacht Club, besting the British challenger Sceptre.Career
Designed by Olin Stephens and built by Nevins, Columbia was built especially for the '58 trials. She was owned by a syndicate headed by Henry Sears, Gerard B. Lambert, Briggs Cunningham, Vincent Astor, James A. Farrell, A. Howard Fuller, and William T. Moore.
Columbia was helmed by Cunningham, the inventor of the cunningham downhaul, with syndicate head Sears as navigator. After defeating Sceptre in the Cup challenge, she went on to a long career competing in the Defender trials for the 1962, 1964, and 1967 America's Cup competitions.
