6. City Island Has Produced Seven America’s Cup-winning Yachts

Yacht in the water

The shipbuilding industry on City Island thrived well into the 20th century beginning with the first major boat builder, David Carll Shipyard, which was established in 1862 on the site of what is now Consolidated Yachts. During the First and Second World Wars, however, the focus of production shifted from yachts to the construction of subchasers, tugboats and landing crafts, which were used for beach invasions.

In the post-war period, yacht production returned and resulted in the creation of several America’s Cup-winning yachts, including Columbia US 12 #16 in 1958, Constellation US 12 #20 in 1964, Intrepid US 12 #22 in 1967 and 1970, Courageous US 12 #26 in 1974 and 1977, and Freedom US 12 #30 in 1980. As a testament to City Island’s nautical background, you can still find yacht clubs there, some over a century old.