Following the races against Sovereign, Kurrewa, Norsaga and others, Eric Maxwell shipped Sceptre back to Rhode Island with seven of his own crewmen from Scotland, and was invited to act as sparring partner to American Eagle as she worked up for the US defender selection trials.  

Preparing for the season, Maxwell took the boat back to Robertson’s in Holy Loch for a refit, including cropping back her counter stern by some three feet, according to the fashion of the time (the counter was found in 2002 and replaced in 2003).  She was also repainted, but according to Douglas Cormack (?) this does not seem to have been a great success:

Then another unforeseen problem (but this may be a recollection from a few years earlier than 1967, as evidenced by a report in the Newport Daily News in July 1967):

Newport Daily News 1967, 12 Apr, Page 15,Second British 12-Meter Due Here this Summer

Newport Daily News 1967, 25 July, Page 1, Sceptre's Crew Suspects Mast May be Broken

Newport Daily News 1967, 1 July, Page 2, Sceptre Due Here Sunday

Newport Daily News 1967, 3 July, Page 11, Two More Twelves Arrive

Newport Daily News 1967, 26 July, Page 13, Four 12-Meters Get New Masts