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Reminiscing “Freedom”: a 12 Metre Classic

• By Herb McCormick
• January 2, 2024

Forty years ago this past September, in the waters of Rhode Island Sound just off the coastal city of Newport, a crew of Aussies shocked the sailing world. The 12 Metre Australia II defeated the American boat Liberty to win the 1983 America’s Cup and bring the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year defense of the Auld Mug to a conclusion. It’s safe to say the Cup, and my hometown of Newport, have never been the same.

I spent a lot of time on the sound that summer taking in the action, so when I signed up to volunteer on a marshal boat for the latest edition of the 12 Metre World Championship regatta in August, I found myself on the very same waters, which turned into a pretty nostalgic voyage down a nautical memory lane. But the graceful Twelve I couldn’t take my eyes off wasn’t the winner of the Modern Division, Challenge XII , or even the victor of the Traditional/Vintage Division, Columbia . Nope, I was more or less transfixed on the runner-up to Challenge XII , a striking-blue yacht called Freedom . Of all the entries in the 10-boat fleet, to me, Freedom was easily the most historic and memorable.

Three years before the Australians absconded with the Cup, in 1980, with the estimable Dennis Conner in command, Freedom won the contest in dominant fashion, and it seemed like the New York Yacht Club’s winning streak would go on forever. It was designed by the legendary naval architecture firm Sparkman & Stephens, which had drawn the lines of every Cup winner but one since 1936. Conner was back on the helm in the losing effort in ’83, but he would find redemption, winning the Cup back for the United States in Western Australia in 1987. But for S&S, Freedom marked the end of an illustrious era. The firm would never again create a Cup winner.

For the 12 Metre Worlds, ironically enough, the navigator aboard Freedom was a lanky old Aussie mate of mine called Grant Simmer, who’d served in the same capacity aboard Australia II for his country’s winning effort way back when. With the exception of the gray hair, he looked exactly the same.

This time, however, Simmer couldn’t work his magic. Unlike the America’s Cup, where boats compete in one-on-one match racing, the World Championship event is fleet racing, with everyone out on the track at the same time. It’s a different game. And Challenge XII had a ringer of its own: the president of North Sails, Ken Read, also a longtime America’s Cup veteran. As far as I was concerned, Freedom was easily the prettiest of all the Modern yachts. When push came to shove, though, it was no longer the fastest.

Today’s America’s Cup competition, conducted on closed-course race tracks in skittish foiling catamarans—about as far removed as possible from a stately 12 Metre racing in the open ocean—bears little resemblance to what the event looked like in the early 1980s. And Newport has undergone a radical makeover as well. The shipyards where the Cup boats used to reside between races have been replaced by condos and hotels, and the only real remaining trace of the America’s Cup is the boulevard of the same name. It’s a reminder that the only true constant in life is change.

But for a few afternoons last August, I could shut my eyes for a moment of reminiscence and open them up to see what I can only describe as a fleeting image of a bygone time. Freedom may be a footnote in the history of yacht racing, but the big, beautiful blue boat still looks powerful and fantastic all the same.

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An Historic Mathis-Trumpy Yacht Makes Her Daring Return

The 1920s Freedom is restored to her original splendor, recalling the lavish era of classic motor yachts.

She must have been irresistible. What wasn’t to adore along the 104 feet of this regal watercraft? To Jessie Woolworth Donahue, daughter of retail magnate F.W. Woolworth and then one of prewar America’s wealthiest women, the vessel was indeed perfect. A slender beam ideal for gliding the intracoastal waters surrounding her Palm Beach house. A plumb bow that rose straight up from the waterline like the aquiline forehead of an aristocrat. A divinely proportioned counter stern with an elliptical fantail that curved gently up and aft with the grace of a ballerina’s gesture. Bronze scrollwork that glowed in the sun. A low, sturdy stack nestled alongside one heaven-reaching, raked mast. Behind, the romance of sail. Ahead, the power and promise of engines.

And within, the ultimate expression of how one lived: a trio of expansive double staterooms (plus one single), three baths, lounging and dining saloons (with mahogany walls, beams, and deckhouse), and interiors decorated in grand style by famed retailer Wanamaker (the decor alone was advertised to have cost $30,000). Irresistible.

Wealth. Opulence. Assurance. And perhaps most symbolically, a signal of one’s freedom to roam from enclave to enclave, from season to season, in high luxury. Sold, then, was the 1926 Mathis-Trumpy Freedom to Donahue. She was, of course, a member of the Gilded Age class that commissioned or acquired yachts with the same alacrity they built mansions and seized the goldenmost layer of the American dream.

“In these days, newly minted millionaires had their list of things to acquire, to check the box to be a proper millionaire,” says Earl McMillen III, a Newport, Rhode Island–based yacht restorer and de facto historian of the period. “You’d have a house in Palm Beach, Newport, or Bar Harbor in the summer,” he continues, “a shooting plantation in South Carolina or Georgia, and on that list was a proper yacht. It was a lifestyle that everyone saw.”

This maritime striving, according to author Ross MacTaggart, spawned a century’s worth of high-profile boats. The wave began in 1830, he notes, with an Englishman who commissioned the first known motor yacht: the steam-driven Menai, complete with paddle wheels that made her look like a hybrid of a submarine and a Mississippi riverboat.

While the design may have seemed maladroit, the outcome was profound: “For the first time,” MacTaggart writes in his book Millionaires, Mansions, and Motor Yachts, “an individual could control his or her vessel’s schedule.” No waiting for tides, currents, winds. And while the late 1800s saw the addition of luxury rail travel, the promise was more confined than the private yacht: “A millionaire still had to accept the fact that trains went where they could, not where you wanted,” MacTaggart writes. “What was the point of being a millionaire if one could not do whatever one wanted, whenever and wherever? And comfortably?”

Yachting's Gilded Giants

As the 20th century opened, and as industrialists and other millionaires like Cornelius Vanderbilt, J.P. Morgan, their offspring, and rising nouveau riche joined the elite rosters, naval architects strove to create vessels that matched those aspirations. Private motor yachts diversified: some built for ocean-going explorations, others—like Freedom— for cruising protected waters along the Eastern seaboard, and others still for speedy commuting from one’s estate, say, on Long Island to the New York Yacht Club’s dock at 26th Street on the East River. The costs to build these crafts (in the millions of dollars at the time), not to mention maintain them—all the way down the ledger to stylish nautical dress for every crew member—were monumental.

“If you have to ask how much a yacht costs, you can’t afford one.” -Attributed to J.P. Morgan

And in the 1920s, many agree the form reached its design apogee. Designers like Jonah Trumpy were working at the peak of their craft, creating silhouettes of grace and proportion that carved their way elegantly through water and spaces throughout that matched those of mansions and country homes on land. It was a bright era that was snuffed out nearly entirely by the combined economic effects of the imposition of income tax in 1914 and the Depression thereafter, not to mention the rise in the use of automobiles, the improvement of roads, and finally, the new promise of air travel. As happens to all empires, the glory days of the great private yacht were closing.

But for McMillen, there were survivors to be found, restored, and relaunched. “If they’re lost, they’re lost forever,” he says, recounting how Freedom, in fact, nearly suffered that fate. From the hands of Mrs. Donahue, the houseboat (Trumpy’s term for his class of luxury yachts, whose interiors were emulations of all the comforts of home) had been sold in 1939 to a real estate developer in Florida who renamed her Sunset to promote his own Sunset Islands development near Miami. A succession of Florida owners followed, but by 2001, the craft was languishing in a warehouse in Jacksonville and slated for demolition. McMillen learned of the boat’s grim, looming fate from MacTaggart and moved quickly. He bought her for one hundred dollars and undertook the near-Herculean process to move her up the coast to his facilities in the greater Newport area (one of the nation’s centers of boatbuilding and restoration) and to raise the funds—$7.5 million—to restore her. In May of 2009, rebuilt painstakingly plank by plank, the yacht returned to service, thanks to a creative fractional ownership syndicate assembled by McMillen, and took her original name back. In 2010, Freedom won the World Superyacht Best Rebuilt award in London. “It’s the Oscars of the yachting industry,” McMillen says.

It’s no wonder. Brought back lovingly in full splendor, Freedom represents the very finest expression of the age and its aspirations. “Freedom was the most refined and finest-looking of the boats that [Trumpy] built,” he says. “The joinery, the details, the hardware…everything about her is sort of perfect in my opinion.”

McMillen laments a turn away from that balance and proportion among this generation’s newly minted billionaires. “Everything I see today, it’s glitzy and shiny and big, but you lose me there,” he says. “In my opinion, the billionaire of today is most interested in building bigger. They’ve lost sight of how to build a beautiful boat.”

“These wooden boats are organic,” he says, returning to the crafts he loves like family. “You get a sense that they’re a living, breathing organism. They have almost a human-like attachment. There’s something about going to sea on a wooden boat.”

One might almost consider it irresistible.

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• Sailboat Reviews

An easy-to-sail sloop with a fair turn of speed, beamy accommodations and surprising offshore capability.

The Freedom 32 appeared about midway in the evolution of Freedom Yachts. Garry Hoyt of Newport, Rhode Island, retired advertising executive and champion one-design sailor, founded the company in 1976, with the Freedom 40 cat ketch. With this boat he reintroduced the unstayed cat ketch rig whose origins date to the 19th century and boats such as the New Haven sharpies used for oystering. Similarly, the Freedom 32 can trace its ancestry to the catboats of Barnegat and Buzzards Bays.

It was Hoyt who resurrected these moribund concepts. Not that catboat builders had ceased altogether, but it was he who used modern materials, and exceptional marketing skill, to bring unstayed rigs into the mainstream.

The prototype Freedom 40 had sweeps (long oars) in place of an engine, shallow draft and a centerboard. She was fleet. Hoyt sailed her around the Caribbean, making appearances at Antigua Race Week. In 1977 he won the Cruising Class of the Rolex Cup Regatta in St. Thomas.

A slightly modified version went into production, of which 62 hulls were sold, ending in 1982 and replaced by the Freedom 44, which was campaigned for a few years in long-distance ocean races. Other cat ketches in the traditional line included the 28 and 33. A change in direction began with the Ron Holland-designed Freedom 39, first offered as a schooner, later a ketch.

The first single-sail Freedoms appeared in the early 1980s—the Freedom 21 and 25. The 32 was introduced in 1983, with a round carbon fiber mast instead of the rotating wing spar that made the 25 so effective upwind, and without the wrap-around sails of the earlier ketches. In several ways, Hoyt’s explorations far from the norm taught him that the old standby sloop isn’t such a bad thing. With the 32, his own design, he added a vestigial jib to improve upwind performance. Hoyt called it a “cat sloop.”

The boat remained in production for four years, terminating in 1986 after about 90 boats had been sold.

Design By most standards, the Freedom 32 is a big 32-footer. For starters, it actually measures 32′ 8″ overall. With a displacement of 9,000 lbs. on a 25′ 9″ waterline, the displacement/length ratio (D/L) is 258, which is considered moderate—light enough to be fairly fast and heavy enough to carry cruising stores. (Because the D/L is directly related to the volume of the hull form, the higher the D/L, the more space for cruising gear.) Most of the 505 sq. ft. sail area is in the big roach, full batten 400 sq. ft. mainsail. The sail area/displacement ratio (SA/D) is 18.7, which is generous for what is essentially a cruising boat, and at about the maximum for an offshore boat.

Owing to its 12′ 3″ beam, there is considerable initial stability, enabling crew to carry full sail up to 20+ knots of breeze. One respondent to our Boat Owner’s Questionnaire said, “I don’t think of reefing until 25 knots if with crew, or 22 knots if alone.”

The keel is a 6′ fin with a shoal draft option at 4′ 11″. The rudder is a balanced spade that provides excellent maneuverability. Traditionalists argue that full keels with attached rudders, or at least skeg-hung rudders, are best for cruising, protecting as they do the vulnerable rudder. And there is merit in such logic. But such thinking is becoming increasingly passé. In most fin keelboats, the keel is deeper than the rudder, thereby taking the first hit in the event of a grounding. Rudderstocks of solid stainless steel or carbon fiber are exceptionally strong; it will take considerable force to bend them. And some proponents, such as author and circumnavigator Steve Dashew, argue that fin keels provided much needed maneuverability not only at docks but in severe storm conditions.

Owners describe the exterior appearance as “odd,” “different” and “beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.” What sets the Freedom 32 apart is not the topsides or sheer, but the cabin line, which extends straight from forward of the mast aft to the end of the cockpit. The line is accentuated by a wide band of colored gelcoat, generally blue, inside of which the three windows are set port and starboard.

The transom also is a bit different, with a very slight reverse angle. One expects it to either be perfectly vertical, or raked more than it is. Beam is carried fairly well aft, less so forward to give a reasonably fine entry. To reduce wetted surface area, beam at deck diminishes considerably at the waterline.

As mentioned earlier, the boat’s generous beam gives it good initial stability, but detracts from its ultimate stability, that is, the boat’s ability to right itself from a knockdown or rollover. No 32s are listed in US Sailing’s “Performance Characteristic Profile of the North American IMS Fleet,” but two other Freedoms are—a 35 with a length of positive stability of 110.1 and a 44 centerboard at 107.7, both under the 120 recommended minimum for offshore work. Nevertheless, we know of a number of 32s that have made safe and successful ocean passages, including transatlantic, so there is always more to a good boat than the right numbers.

“Suspect low ratings, capsize length,” wrote the owner of a 1985 model.

Construction The Freedom 32, like other early Freedoms, was built by Tillotson-Pearson Industries (now TPI), headed by Everett Pearson. TPI was and remains a strong proponent of balsa-core construction. At the risk of beating a dead horse, the pros and cons of balsa are: Extremely stiff and light sandwich construction, but at the risk of moisture/water soaking the core and causing delamination. With proper building techniques, the risk are minimized, and TPI has certainly been one of the best builders of balsa-cored structures.

For owners, the key is proper bedding of through-hulls and deck hardware. If adding new through-hulls, the wrong way is to simply take a hole saw, cut to the dimension of the through-hull or transducer, stick in the through-hull with some bedding and tighten the inside nut. The right way is to drill the hole slightly oversize from the inside, but not all the way through the outer skin. Stop there, with just the drill bit penetrating the outer skin. Remove the inner skin and balsa. Fill the hole with epoxy mixed with microballoons or other suitable filler. (You’ll have to tape stiff cellophane against the hull to keep the mixture from sagging.) Then, using the pilot hole in the outer skin as a guide, drill the correct size hole from the outside. This method leaves, say, a 1/2″ ring of solid epoxy around the through-hull, thus preventing any possibility of water from entering the core.

Deck hardware bedding inevitably grows old and with loads on cleats and stanchions, eventually cracks, always out of sight where you can’t see them. You might not even notice water drips or discoloration inside on the headliner, but that doesn’t mean water hasn’t entered the core surrounding the bolt hole. A good preventive job on older boats—and these Freedom 32s are coming up on 20 years—is to remove deck hardware and rebed. Few jobs go further in extending the life of your boat. And from a financial perspective, a boat with a spongy, delaminated deck isn’t worth as much as one with a sound deck.

The Freedom 32 was built before TPI started using its SCRIMP method. But TPI was perhaps the first production builder to use vinylester resin on the outer lamination to help minimize the chance of osmotic blistering. The glass used was mostly conventional E-glass mat and unidirectional fabrics.

The mast is carbon fiber and was warranted for lifetime to the original buyer. Hoyt and TPI went through some growing pains developing their unstayed spars, but ended up with good, strong spars wound over a mandrel.

Ballast is lead and sufficiently low to permit a fairly deep sump for collection of bilge water. Few things bug us more than shallow sumps that allow water to slosh out when the boat is heeled.

Standard tankage includes 30 gallons of fuel under the forward dinette seat, nearly on centerline, and a 55-gallon water tank under the starboard settee. An additional 50-gallon water tank under the V-berth was an option. If selected, 105-gallon capacity would be a lot for a boat this size—a real plus for cruisers. One owner, however, cautioned against the optional V-berth tank, suggesting instead to locate a second tank under the port dinette to “keep 350 pounds out of the forward end of the boat. A full forward water tank lifts the toilet intake clear out of the water! And a full starboard tank creates a 3-degree list—most dismaying.” Another owner had the factory relocated the toilet intake.

Accommodations The Freedom 32 was a bit unusual for its time in that it provided two separate sleeping cabins—the V-berth forward (about 6-1/2′), with optional head and sink, and an aft cabin with double berth under the cockpit (also about 6-1/2′). To port of the companionway ladder (with tool chest under two of the steps) is a hanging locker and some drawers with the L-shaped galley forward of it. To starboard is the head with shower and wet locker. Just forward of it is a sit-down nav station with batteries underneath.

Amidships is a U-shaped dinette to port with a table that folds out to serve persons sitting on the starboard settee, or drops down to make a double berth. These berths are about 6′.

Owners rated interior joinerwork as very good. “The woodwork is superb,” wrote the owner of a 1984 model. “Beautiful wood finishing by New England craftsmen,” said another.

The bulkheads and berth faces are teak-faced plywood and the hull behind the settees and forward is covered with an ash ceiling. The cabin sole is teak and holly.

Headroom is just over 6′.

For sea berths, one will want to rig a lee cloth on the starboard settee and some sort of dividing board down the middle of the double berth aft.

For extended cruising, any boat with a 25 waterline and moderate D/L is going to be a bit short on stowage and the Freedom 32 is no exception. But there are places to put things under the berths and there are shelves behind the dinette and settee. It will take some creativity and tough decision-making, but adequate equipment, spare parts and provisions can be carried for a couple or small family.

The cockpit is large and comfortable, with fairly high seatbacks that are contoured forward and aft. The bridge is the same level as the seats, which provides security from green water in the cockpit and creates more space below.

The helmsman’s seat is an elevated half-circle and there is a folding table attached to the steering pedestal. The coamings are wide enough to sit on and there are cubbies in them port and starboard. Also to port is a propane locker. To starboard is a generous seat locker.

A dodger can be fitted over the companionway from which all sail controls can be reached. This means that if sailing with an autopilot or steering vane, one could operate the boat from the protection of the dodger and companionway.

Performance Hoyt claimed that the Freedom 32 was as fast or faster than any similarly sized cruising boat. PHRF ratings are all over the place but typical numbers for the shoal keel range between 180 and 190 seconds per mile. The deep keel has ratings between 165 and 183. The Hunter 32 Vision, Islander 32-3 and Pearson 323 have similar numbers. To put these numbers in perspective, the fleet J/32 rates between 114 and 130, while a heavier Island Packet 32 comes in at 213.

What the Freedom 32 is really about, however, is easy sail handling. It derives most of its power from the large, full batten mainsail, made possible by the absence of a backstay (indeed, there are no stays altogether). She was designed to be sailed under main alone, like a catboat. But to improve upwind ability by means of creating a slot effect, the small 105 sq. ft. jib was added. It is self-tending and has a CamberSpar (a flexible batten that tensions the clew and inverts itself on each tack) so that efficient headsail shape is maintained even off the wind. Imagine sailing upwind and not having to touch any sheet or winch when tacking—just turn the wheel! That’s what Garry Hoyt was after, believing that the work of handling sheets and grinding winches was putting too many people off sailing.

A more remarkable innovation was his patented Hoyt Gun Mount that enables crew to hoist, trim and douse a spinnaker from the safety of the cockpit. It starts with a very strong bow pulpit to which is fitted a swiveling tube. Instead of a pole, a “yard” is extended and retracted through the tube by means of lines led aft. The clews of the spinnaker are attached to each end of the yard so that you can’t possibly make too much of a mess of it. We’ve seen Hoyt sail this rig in 360s and even backwards, with nary a wrap.

This system solves the problem of people loafing downwind because they feel it’s too much trouble to set a spinnaker or even pole out the genoa wing and wing.

When we first sailed with the Hoyt Gun Mount, we felt sure that other companies would buy it, but alas, it appears to have not caught on. Indeed, even Freedom, now under different ownership, foregoes this clever system.

“The Hoyt Gun Mount,” wrote the owner of a 1984 boat, “works pretty much as described. I can hoist the spinnaker single-handed from the cockpit without dousing the jib.”

Owners also report that the boat is very maneuverable—“Turns on a nickel, not a dime,” said one. The downside is that the boat requires a lot of attention to the helm in most conditions. The exception is in moderate breezes upwind, when the helm may be sufficiently neutral to simply lock the wheel and correctly trim the sails. The rest of the time, however, the large mainsail, fin keel and spade rudder make her a bit nervous and she’ll want to be hand steered. Tracking isn’t its strong suit.

But not all owners sum it up this way, describing balance as “superb” and “perfect.”

The boat’s wide beam relative to its length makes it fairly stiff. “Goes to 12 degrees quickly, then stops,” said one owner.

The 32 is equally maneuverable under power with its three-cylinder, freshwater-cooled Yanmar 22-hp. diesel, located under the aft dinette seat.

Conclusion The Freedom 32, like its smaller sisterships, the 21 and 25, is easy to sail, quick and best of all, fun. The self-tending jib and Hoyt Gun Mount take the grunt work out of upwind and downwind sailing. What’s not to like about that?

Construction is above average, both in terms of the structural laminate and interior joinerwork. The only exterior teak is in the handrails and companionway channels, so you won’t be spending a lot of time cleaning and oiling/varnishing brightwork.

For coastal cruising, the boat would seem ideal. Surprisingly, a number of owners have made ocean passages, reeling off 140-mile days. But there are reasons to think twice about selecting this boat for such use—ultimate stability, attention required to the helm, and the fact she doesn’t heave to well. One experienced passagemaker, reporting in Bluewater Sailing, said that in high winds he goes with either just the jib or jib and triple-reefed main.

Base price new was $67,500, and with options such as electronics they were going out the door between $75,000 and $85,000. Today they sell used in the mid- to high $40s.

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I am wondering about converting a Freedom 40 ketch to wing type sails . Any idea of cost & possible problems? It still has the aluminum sail holders forget what they are called. THANKS Phil.

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Freedom Boat Club acquires franchise locations in Newport, Portsmouth, Warwick, and Barrington

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Find out why 17,000 people start their day with our free newsletter. Delivered to your inbox every morning to keep you informed and connected in Newport.

Freedom Boat Club, a Brunswick Corporation business, announced today that it has acquired the Freedom Boat Club of Rhode Island franchise operation and territory.

The acquisition includes all four current Rhode Island-based locations – Newport, Portsmouth, Warwick, and Barrington, as well as the rights to expand and build new club locations throughout Rhode Island, according to a press release from Freedom Boat Club.

Freedom Boat Club says that this action complements the recent Freedom Boat Club acquisitions in the Northeast, including the  New York  City / Long Island and Connecticut territories.

“The acquisition of the Rhode Island business and territory presents a tremendous opportunity to expand Freedom’s presence in the top boating communities in the world,” said Cecil Cohn, Freedom Boat Club Network’s president in the press release.  “The Rhode Island franchise owner has been an exceptional partner to Freedom and has done an outstanding job of establishing and growing the Freedom brand, as well as attracting a growing membership and delivering exceptional on-water experiences.”

The Freedom Boat Club brand entered the Rhode Island market under the leadership of former owner and marine industry veteran, Richard Cromwell. Over the past 12 years, Cromwell has built a strong community of boaters at its locations, grown memberships steadily year-over-year, and established a solid foundation for growth with best-in-class operations.

• Freedom Boat Club Newport was opened in 2009 at the Newport Yachting Center.
• Freedom Boat Club Portsmouth is located at the junction of Mount Hope Bay and the Sakonnet River in the Safe Harbor Sakonnet Marina.
• Barrington is the newest Freedom Boat Club in Rhode Island, opening spring of 2019.  It is located at the Safe Harbor Cove Haven Marina.
• Warwick Freedom Boat Club is located in the Safe Harbor Cowesett North Yard. It is adjacent to Chelo’s restaurant covering most of “A Dock”. It opened in 2007 and is the largest location in Rhode Island, according to Freedom Boat Club.

“Since joining the Freedom family in 2009, we have greatly valued their partnership and support, both of which have been instrumental in our success over the years,” said Richard Cromwell in the press release. “We are excited to see their plans for accelerated expansion come to fruition, since they offer our members additional boating locations across the Northeast. We are confident that our members will continue to receive exceptional boating experiences under Freedom’s leadership.”

As part of the transition, Cromwell will remain onboard to assist with the transition, and the local staff has been retained to ensure business continuity.

With this acquisition, Freedom Boat Club operates corporate-owned clubs in 11 territories spanning Rhode Island; Connecticut; Southwest Florida; Southeast Florida; Raleigh; Charleston; Chicago; New York City / Long Island; Milwaukee; the United Kingdom; and Spain. 

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If you have any questions about the FREEDOM information page below please contact us .

A General Description of Motor Yacht FREEDOM

The well sized superyacht FREEDOM is a motor yacht. This 32 metre (103 ft) luxury yacht was made at Mathis Yacht Building in 1926. FREEDOM was once called 425 Freedom; Sunset. This private motor yacht has been brought about by the naval architecture of John H. Wells and John Trumpy.

Building & Naval Architecture with respect to Luxury Yacht FREEDOM

The yacht's general design work came from John H Wells and John Trumpy. The technical naval architecture drawings are the creation of John H Wells. the United States is the country that Mathis Yacht Building built their new build motor yacht in. After her official launch in 1926 in Camden Nj the boat was delivered on to the owner having completed final finishing. A moderate area is manifested with a maximum beam (width) of 5.79 metres or 19 feet. With a 1.37m (4.5ft) draught (maximum depth) she is reasonably shallow. The material wooden was used in the building of the hull of the motor yacht. Her superstructure above deck is created from wood. In 2007 further refit work and modernisation was in addition performed.

M/Y FREEDOM Engines & Speed:

The main engine of the yacht gives 200 horse power (or 147 kilowatts). Her total HP is 400 HP and her total Kilowatts are 294. Her propulsion units are twin screw propellers.

A List of the Specifications of the FREEDOM:

Miscellaneous Yacht Details

FREEDOM features a teak deck.

FREEDOM Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht FREEDOM displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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• Mathis Yacht Building Co.

McMillen Yachts Inc. was founded in 1992 by Earl McMillen III to restore and maintain classic yachts. In 1995 McMillen pioneered the concept of fractional yacht ownership in an effort to allow other people, with a similar interest and less available time, the opportunity to participate in the same mission. To date, McMillen Yachts has restored dozens of significant yachts and in the process has built the finest collection of classic American yachts in the world. Today, with their office and full service boatyard facility in Newport, RI, McMillen Yachts offers year round use of the yachts in the “fractionally owned” fleet anywhere along the coast of the eastern United States. During the summer months, the fleet bases out of Newport and cruises between New York and Maine. In the Spring and Fall, the yachts cruise the east coast, primarily in the Chesapeake Bay and Georgia/South Carolina low country; and in the winter months they are based in south Florida and cruise both coasts, including the Florida Keys and Bahamas.

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Freedom, US-30

Built in 1979 according to the International Third Rule- America’s Cup.

1979-1980: Freedom was the last 12 designed by Olin Stephens with Bill Langan. Her lines were inspired by Enterprise , with attention paid to reducing the pitch and windage of the hull resulting in reduced freeboard. Skippered by Dennis Conner, Freedom dominated the Defender Trials against Clipper and Courageous and beat Australia 4-1 for the America’s Cup. In 1980 she also won the Chandler Hovey Gold Bowl.

1981-2000: Freedom was altered by Sparkman & Stephens in 1982 and sailed as a trial horse against Liberty in 1983. In 1985 she was shipped to Europe, first to Consorzio, Italy, then to France as a trail horse for French Kiss in 1986. From 1995-2000 she was owned by Francois Fontes with her home port in Montpelier, France.

2000-2016: Purchased by Ernest Jacquet, she returned to Newport, RI where she was actively sailed and raced and subsequently donated for use to a non-profit organization in Greenwich, CT.

2016: Purchased by Charles A. Robertson, had a complete refit and returned to the Newport racing fleet in June of 2017. She was an active competitor throughout the 2019 World Championship.

2019: Finished 6th in the Modern Division at the 2019 12mR World Championship at Newport

2019: Purchased by Takashi Okura, who plans a very competitive program with his “SLED” racing team at the New York Yacht Club

Jump to Twelve Metre Yacht Club, Newport Station Fleet page for Freedom (US-30)

FREEDOM YACHTS, in Ri Boats

Explore the Vessel

Freedom: a luxury experience, the only yacht of its kind.

The Freedom Yacht (FD 110 Tri-deck from Horizon) promises to give its guests an extraordinary experience. This five-stateroom yacht features stylish exterior lines, impressive interior volume, and large outdoor spaces.

Accommodations

including Master Suite

Luxury and Style in the Open Sea

Visually stunning, the ship has large windows, generous deck spacing, and a striking, head-turning profile that affords superb comfort in all sea conditions. Freedom offers features and accommodations you only find in larger, high-end vessels.

• ∞ 6-person Jacuzzi
• ∞ Shade System/Sun Awning
• ∞ Swim Platform w/ Watersports

Ultimate Relaxation and Entertainment Aboard

• ∞ Widescreen TVs
• ∞ Stereo System
• ∞ Sky Lounge
• ∞ Fully Equipped Bars

Take on Fun in the Sun

Discover where we've been.

During the winter months, Freedom operates out of Fort Lauderdale, FL. Here are some of our favorite destinations.

With endless beaches and year-round sunshine, Florida is a boating playground. Find your perfect spot to set your anchor.

The Bahamas’ crystal-clear waters and warm temperatures make it an irresistible destination for boating.

The Florida Keys is a boating paradise. Island hop, snorkle, and explore this marine sanctuary.

Block Island

Martha’s Vineyard

Newport, RI Harbor

Book your charter today.

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News | Anchors aweigh: 2 superyachts depart Newport…

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• Investigative Reporting
• Environment

News | Anchors aweigh: 2 superyachts depart Newport Beach area after visit that drew shoreline spectators

By sunrise Thursday, though, it was time to get ready to go. By mid-morning, both ships had made their way out of their temporary safe harbor and appeared to be headed up the coast.

On Wednesday, the spectacle of two mammoth vessels looming just offshore drew curious onlookers, some of whom wondered why their skippers chose to anchor off the popular beach known as Big Corona.

“People have called our dispatch and have asked what’s up with the boats,” Capt. Gary Llewelyn of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol said. “They are big, beautiful ships. It’s drawn everyone’s curiosity, including ours.”

According to Superyachttimes.com, the larger “Lonian” superyacht is owned by Lorenzo Fertitta. He is chairman of Fertitta Capital, director of Red Rock Resorts Inc. and former CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The ship, built by Feadship, was purchased for $160 million in 2018.

Another yacht, about 200 feet-long and equipped with a helicopter pad, was anchored nearby and was clearly visible to beach-goers and sightseers on nearby coastal bluffs.

A comparable sight in terms of size, and visible in recent years in Newport Harbor and elsewhere in Southern California, has been the Invictus which checks in at 216-feet long, Llewelyn said.

Two superyachts anchored just off Corona del Mar State Beach in Newport Beach get ready to move on early Thursday. By mid-morning both of the massive ships, which drew curious shoreline spectators, had made their way out to sea. More details at ⁦ @ocregister ⁩ pic.twitter.com/DUS24MTkzB — Mark Evans (@markevans_ap) August 26, 2021

Superyachttimes.com reports that the Lonian can accommodate up to 12 guests and 27 crew members, including the captain. The ship is ranked as the 117th largest superyacht in the world. The smaller companion Hodor, accommodates a crew of 20 plus the captain, is ranked as 321st largest globally.

The helicopter pad drew some people to conclude the ships were from the military.

“If people think it’s a military vessel so close to our shore, I think they should know it isn’t,” Llewelyn said.

Llewelyn said that both ships were not interfering with vessel passage and that it was fine to be located where they were.

“As long as they display the proper day shape (flags) during the day and if anchored and proper lights at night, they are not doing anything wrong,” Llewelyn said.

Paul Blank, Newport’s harbor master, confirmed the ship’s owner and said the yacht manager has checked in with him to see if there are any required permits. This is the ships’ second visit in 30 days.

“They were here one other time for 12 hours and were conducting helicopter operations and needed clearance from John Wayne Airport,” Blank said. “They also checked in with me to make sure they didn’t need a permit.”

Blank said they also informed him that they would be transiting the harbor to pick up some guests from a public pier.

“I suggested they take a harbor cruise and observe the many scenic attractions around the harbor and consider replenishment at many of our fine locations,” he said.

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• Yachts for Charter

FREEDOM Yacht for Charter

FREEDOM is the epitome of opulence on the water. Across her six-levels, this superyacht showcases sumptuous amenities and rich furnishings, providing an elevated sense of luxury aboard. Ensuring a relaxed experience aboard, her outstanding crewmembers will provide bespoke service that is above and beyond.

The Benetti superyacht FREEDOM’s awe-inspiring, palatial interior was designed by John Munford. Opulent and luxurious the space is adorned with Imperial English style furniture as well as the finest marbles, woods and onyx. A 1920s Bechstein grand piano stands as a focal point in the main salon. The luxury yacht stands out with her countless interior spaces that offer a variety of uses, from lounging and entertaining to hosting conference meetings. An all-levels elevator allows for easy access throughout the yacht.

This superyacht accommodates 12 guests in the superior comfort of eight sumptuous staterooms. Located on its own deck, the master suite is the ultimate haven. The suite features sweeping 180-degree views of the destination as well a private outdoor area with an on-deck Jacuzzi. Expansive closets with dressing room areas and his-and-her en-suite bathrooms complete the master suite. FREEDOM’s additional staterooms include a VIP suite, four double-bed staterooms, two triple-bed staterooms and one twin-bed stateroom.

Dining is a highlight aboard as the yacht’s chef will create bespoke degustation that will delight your palette. The Benetti charter yacht FREEDOM offers a variety of dining options, including alfresco, formal and an Italian-styled bistro with a pizza oven.

FREEDOM’s outdoor living areas are just as spacious as her interior and provide an abundance of options for enjoying the alfresco lifestyle. The sundeck features a helipad as well as a pool and ample space for sunbathing.

If staying fit is on the agenda, then guests will love the well-equipped gym. The superyacht yacht also showcases a beauty salon, spa and hammam to provide the ultimate pampering for charter guests.

*Not available for charter to U.S. Residents while in U.S. waters.

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NOT FOR CHARTER *

This Yacht is not for Charter*

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FREEDOM yacht NOT for charter*

36.58m  /  120' | broward | 1994 / 2010.

Owner & Guests

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Impressive 2,500nm range
• Sleeps 8 overnight
• 5.49m/18' Novurania RIB
• Shallow draft and fast speeds for reef exploration

The 36.58m/120' motor yacht 'Freedom ' (ex. Terry Lea) was built by Broward in the United States at their Fort Lauderdale, FL shipyard. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Broward and she was last refitted in 2010.

Guest Accommodation

Freedom has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 8 guests in 4 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 5 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Her features include a gym, deck jacuzzi, WiFi and air conditioning.

Range & Performance

Built with a aluminium hull and aluminium superstructure, with teak decks, she benefits from a semi-displacement hull to provide exceptional seakeeping and impressive speeds. Powered by twin diesel (16V92) 16-cylinder 1,450hp engines running at 2200rpm, she comfortably cruises at 17 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 21 knots with a range of up to 2,500 nautical miles from her 9,800 gallon fuel tanks at 10 knots. Her low draft of 1.68m/5'6" makes her primed for accessing shallow areas and cruising close to the shorelines. Freedom features at-anchor stabilizers providing exceptional comfort levels. Her water tanks store around 1,100 Gallons of fresh water.

*Charter Freedom Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Freedom is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Freedom Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Freedom Photos

Freedom Awards & Nominations

• International Superyacht Society Awards 2019 Best Refit Finalist

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

M/Y Freedom

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