1983 America's Cup, when the right thing happened

going to the finish

rounding the first leeward mark

liberty

australia II

before the start

the morning after

Marble House

the CUP in 1983

1983, a date in America's Cup history that will forever be remembered. The unthinkable happened. the New York Yacht Club and the United States lost a cup that they had held since 1851 (having won it as an upstart nation)
   For me, the right thing happened for all the wrong reasons. As hard as it was to see then, the America's Cup had outgrown the New York Yacht Club. This forced change breathed new life into the competition. People can think that it was the cause of the problems we have seen since, I do not believe this to be true. It would have happened anyway. It is the world we live in. Change always comes difficultly.
   Newport, oddly was routing for the underdog, Australia,. This was spiting your face by cutting off your nose. Tourism in Newport was closely tied to the America's Cup.
   Another thought, "Liberty" led the seventh and final race for five of the six legs. sailing brilliantly against a clearly strong rival. "Liberty" was not a slow boat, just not a faster boat. The Australian boat was using Ian Howlett's bendy mast, giving them "free" sail area. The wing keel was probably more a psychological weapon than an effective design improvement. It was long from being understood. It did make a stiffer boat allowing a lower lead package.
  Curiously, the C-class may be facing the same sort of challenge to change, For so long being the step-sister, they may now find themselves in the center of significant changes, namely the America's Cup in multihulls.

   Where is "LIberty" today??

America's Cup 1980

1980 brings ever increasing interest in the America's Cup. Ian Howlett, who has had an abiding interest in the meter rule since he was young, designs "Lionheart"; named after a contest in England. He had explored the rule extensively and came up with the bendy mast. This added unrated sail area.
    "France III" has her best showing ever, making to the Defender finals, losing to" Australia."
      "Clipper" designed by David Pedrick for Russell Long, probably needed more time to get the boat going fast. "Freedom" the last Successful Sparkman&Stephens 12 meter, again with small incremental changes, sailed by Dennis Connor. Dennis, with this challenge brought the America's Cup to a new level. He logged more hours of sailing in more conditions than anyone had previously done, leaving no part of the 12 meter rule unexplored. Truly a well prepared defense. "Freedom" almost unbeatable in the trials; becoming the defender against "Australia" designed by Ben Lexan and Johan Valentijn  winning 4 to 1 in the races themselves.
      A new benchmark was set, and the course to where the America's Cup is today was launched.
    My involvement in the America's Cup finished in 1979 after Gerry Driscoll could not raise money to bring "Intrepid" back again. I was fully involved in Lirakis Safety Harness, and in fact stopped sailing altogether in 1980 until 2001, for the America's Cup Jubilee.

1983 America's Cup

1983 changed the course of America's Cup history forever, and with it the fate of Newport. Twenty-five years ago this September, a bittersweet anniversary.

I was not participating , I did go to see the final race aboard a syndicate member's boat to watch. Liberty did lead 5 of 6 legs, and gained on the last leg.

I went to watch the cup literally be handed to Alan Bond on the terrace of Marble House. The NYYC was gracious in defeat and naturally the Australians were overjoyed. I took the photo of Ben Lexan around 6:30 the next morning, still basking in the afterglow of success.