Gretel II

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Gretel II is a 12 Metre yacht built for the 1970 America's Cup. Designed by Alan Payne and built by Bill Barnett for Frank Packer, it represented the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron in Newport, Rhode Island. It was the last wooden-hulled yacht used in the Cup.

The crew included skipper Jim Hardy, tactician Martin Visser, starting helmsman Bill Fesq, and sailors John Anderson, David Forbes, and port trimmer John Bertrand. After beating France 4–0 in the challenger series, Gretel II faced the American defender Intrepid, skippered by Bill Ficker.

In Race 1, Forbes went overboard but managed to cling to the sail and get back aboard. In Race 2, Gretel II crossed first but was disqualified due to a start collision. Intrepid won Race 3, Gretel II won Race 4 by 1 minute 2 seconds, and Intrepid took Race 5, winning the series 4–1. Many observers believed Gretel II was faster, but American tactics and crew performance decided the outcome.

Gretel II later served as a trial boat for Alan Bond’s Southern Cross in the lead-up to the 1974 Cup. In the 1977 Cup, skippered by Gordon Ingate, Gretel II was one of four challengers. Its wooden deck was replaced with aluminium for the new campaign, but it was eliminated by Sweden’s Sverige in the challenger trials. Australia won the right to challenge but lost to the United States.

After a period with the Sydney Heritage Fleet, Gretel II was bought by Michael Maxwell in 2005 and restored in New Zealand. As of 2020, it was berthed at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania.