1983 America's Cup
Encyclopedia
| 25th America's Cup |
|
|---|---|
| Date | 14–26 September 1983 |
| Defender |  New York Yacht ClubNew York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ... |
| Challenger |  Royal Perth Yacht ClubRoyal Perth Yacht Club The Royal Perth Yacht Club is a yacht club in Perth, Western Australia. -Early history:The "Perth Yacht and Boat Club" in 1880 was able to build a jetty at the foot of William Street in Perth Water. Perth Yacht Club received the Royal Charter in 1890. The club shifted to Crawley in 1953 when the... |
| Winner | Royal Perth Yacht Club Royal Perth Yacht Club The Royal Perth Yacht Club is a yacht club in Perth, Western Australia. -Early history:The "Perth Yacht and Boat Club" in 1880 was able to build a jetty at the foot of William Street in Perth Water. Perth Yacht Club received the Royal Charter in 1890. The club shifted to Crawley in 1953 when the... |
| Location | Newport, Rhode Island Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
was the occasion of the first winning challenge to the New York Yacht Club
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...
who had successfully defended the cup over a period of 132 years. An Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n syndicate
Syndicate
A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies or entities formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest or in the case of criminals, to engage in organized crime...
representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club
Royal Perth Yacht Club
The Royal Perth Yacht Club is a yacht club in Perth, Western Australia. -Early history:The "Perth Yacht and Boat Club" in 1880 was able to build a jetty at the foot of William Street in Perth Water. Perth Yacht Club received the Royal Charter in 1890. The club shifted to Crawley in 1953 when the...
won the match race
Match race
A match race is a race between two competitors, going head-to-head.The term may be best known as a race between two sailing boats racing around a course...
s to win the America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
which ended the longest winning streak in sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
ing history.
The defender: Liberty
Skippered by team principal Dennis ConnerDennis Conner
Dennis Conner is an American yachtsman, noted for winning the bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics, two Star World Championships, and four wins in the America's Cup.-America's Cup:...
, Liberty won all the Defender trials and on September 2, 1983 the New York Yacht Club
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...
confirmed that Liberty was to represent the NYYC as defender of the America's Cup.
The challenger: Australia II
Alan BondAlan Bond (businessman)
Alan Bond is an Australian businessman noted for his criminal convictions and high-profile business dealings, including what was at the time the biggest corporate collapse in Australian history. Bond was born in the Hammersmith district of London, England, and emigrated to Australia with his...
arrived at Newport with Australia II
Australia II
Australia II is the Australian 12-metre-class challenge racing yacht that was launched in 1982 and won the 1983 America's Cup for the Royal Perth Yacht Club...
, billed as one of the biggest threats to American dominance of the 12 Metre
12-metre class
The 12 Metre Class is a rating class for racing boats designed to the International rule. It enables fair competition between boats that rate in the class whilst retaining the freedom to experiment with the details of their designs. The first 12 Metres were built in 1907. The 12 Metre Class was...
class. The boat was designed by Ben Lexcen
Ben Lexcen
Ben Lexcen AM born Robert Miller was an Australian yachtsman and marine architect. He is famous for the winged keel design applied to Australia II which, in 1983, became the first non-American yacht to win the prestigious America's Cup in 132 years.-Early life:Born in the coastal town of...
and skippered by John Bertrand. The revolutionary "winged" keel
Keel
In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, in British and American shipbuilding traditions the construction is dated from this event...
of the Australian yacht was a subject of controversy from the outset of the challenger series, with the New York Yacht club alleging that the winged keel boat was not a legal 12 Meter, and that the keel design itself was the result of Dutch engineers, and not by Lexcen. This second point would make Australia II illegal under the requirement that the boat be "designed and constructed in country" as the Deed of Gift that governed the competition stipulated. The boat was ruled a legal 12 Meter, and she was allowed to participate in the regatta. The speed of the new contender, along with the controversy and protests intensified international media attention to the series.
Australia II dominated the challenger series and entered the America's Cup finals as the most promising contender to date. She suffered equipment failure in the first two races against the American defender Liberty, then split the next two before coming back from 3-1 down to win the final three races and the America’s Cup. In winning the seventh and deciding race on 26 September 1983, Australia II became the first successful challenger in 132 years.
The races
This was the first time the America's Cup had needed a sixth race, let alone a seventh.| Date | Winner | Yacht | Loser | Yacht | Score | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 14, 1983 | Liberty | US-40 | Australia II Australia II Australia II is the Australian 12-metre-class challenge racing yacht that was launched in 1982 and won the 1983 America's Cup for the Royal Perth Yacht Club... |
KA-6 | 1-0 | 1:10 |
| September 15, 1983 | Liberty | US-40 | Australia II | KA-6 | 2-0 | 1:33 |
| September 18, 1983 | Australia II | KA-6 | Liberty | US-40 | 1-2 | 3:14 |
| September 20, 1983 | Liberty | US-40 | Australia | KA-6 | 3-1 | 0:43 |
| September 21, 1983 | Australia II | KA-6 | Liberty | US-40 | 2-3 | 1:47 |
| September 22, 1983 | Australia II | KA-6 | Liberty | US-40 | 3-3 | 3:25 |
| September 26, 1983 | Australia II | KA-6 | Liberty | US-40 | 4-3 | 0:41 |
Aftermath
The final race was televised in Australia in the early hours just before dawn, and the victory was celebrated in public venues across Australia. Prime MinisterPrime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Bob Hawke
Bob Hawke
Robert James Lee "Bob" Hawke AC GCL was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia from March 1983 to December 1991 and therefore longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
was interviewed at the dawn celebration in Claremont
Claremont, Western Australia
Claremont is a western suburb of Perth, Western Australia on the north bank of the Swan River.-History:Prior to European settlement, the Noongar people used the area as a source of water, for fishing and for catching waterfowl. In 1830, John Butler, a settler, set up an inn at Freshwater Bay to...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and said, "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum".
The America's Cup was transferred from the New York Yacht Club
New York Yacht Club
The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...
to the Royal Perth Yacht Club
Royal Perth Yacht Club
The Royal Perth Yacht Club is a yacht club in Perth, Western Australia. -Early history:The "Perth Yacht and Boat Club" in 1880 was able to build a jetty at the foot of William Street in Perth Water. Perth Yacht Club received the Royal Charter in 1890. The club shifted to Crawley in 1953 when the...
located in Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
who subsequently hosted their first, but unsuccessful, defense in the 1987 America's Cup
1987 America's Cup
The 1987 America's Cup was the twenty-seventh challenge for the America's Cup and the first time for 132 years that it had not been defended by the New York Yacht Club....
.
Further reading
- Akerman, Piers. (1983) The cup comes down under Perth, W.A.: Angus & Robertson,ISBN 0-207-14913-5
- The official Advance Australia Souvenir, America's cup 1983. Sydney: Amalgamated Pub. ISBN 0-9592499-0-7
- Levitt, Michael & Llloyd, Barbara (1984) Upset : Australia wins the America's Cup color photography by Dan Nerney. Sydney: Hodder and Stoughton, ISBN 0-340-35580-8 (First published: New York: Workman Publishing, 1983).
- Moult, Allan (compiler) The America’s Cup ’83 Collector’s edition. McMahon’s Point, N.S.W.: Kevin Weldon & Associates
- Panorama Books (1983) How we won the America’s Cup : a souvenir. Perth, W.A. : Panorama Books. ISBN 0-949864-13-7 (ANB/PRECIS SIN 0705837)
- Park, Andy (editor) Stannard, Bruce (text) (1984) Australia II : the official record Sydney: Joyce Childress Management. ISBN 0-9591313-0-2
- Stannard, Bruce (1983)The triumph of Australia II : the America's Cup challenge of 1983 Sydney: Lansdowne Press. ISBN 0-7018-1800-X
- Todd, Nigel and Ross, Brian (1983) America’s Cup ’83 : the official Advance Australia edition Manly, N.S.W.: Sea Spray.
- Westley, Eileen (1983) America’s Cup ’83, the complete story. Sydney: John Fairfax Marketing. ISBN 0-909558-36-1
- Wheatley, Keith (1986) America's Cup '87: the inside story. Ringwood, Vic.: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-14-010031-0
- Wilson, Lorraine.(1984) The America’s Cup 1983 illustrated by Alex Stitt. Melbourne : Nelson. ISBN 0-17-006452-2