1987 Louis Vuitton Cup winner Stars & Stripes
Knock-out stage
Semi-finals
KZ 7 was the top qualifier of the round robins, followed in the points competition by Stars & Stripes 87, USA and French Kiss. In the Challenger semi-finals (28 December – 7 January) KZ 7 easily defeated French Kiss 4–0, with none of the races closely contested.  Meanwhile, a far more spirited competition between  Stars and Stripes 87 and USA ensued, with USA leading all of the first race till the final mark.  In the end though Tom Blackaller couldn't quite find the speed he was looking for constantly, and the result was Stars and Stripes 87 winning the semi 4–0.Final
Going into the Louis Vuitton Finals (13-23 January), Kiwi Magic was the favorite.  She was clearly a fast boat in both light and heavy air, had beaten Stars and Stripes 87 twice, and had won an incredible thirty-seven of thirty-eight match races.  But Stars & Stripes 87 was showing her best form of the regatta, particularly in heavy winds above 20 knots.
The first two races were similar, with Stars & Stripes going out to an early lead in the opening beat to the first windward mark, and then holding that lead throughout the remainder of  the rest, holding ground on the downwind legs and extending it on the beats.  The third race started out much as the previous two, with both boats taking a long tack out to the left hand side of the course in what Dennis Conner termed a "speed test".  Stars & Stripes 87 rounded the first windward mark 26 seconds ahead, and that is when trouble started.  The snap shackle failed causing the spinnaker to drop into the sea.  The New Zealanders closed the gap, gibing back and forth across Conner's stern until they achieved what they were looking for, an inside overlap on the bottom mark.  With right of way KZ-7 was able to slide ahead on the turn about the mark.   Once there the New Zealanders proved a difficult boat to get past.  On the second beat to windward they kept the American boat at bay with a tight cover.  No room was available to get by on the reaching legs.  But the third beat was one for the records books.  Conner threw 55 tacks at the Dickson and his boat plus two false tacks in an effort to break free.  The New Zealanders covered them all in one of the most exhausting and tense beats to windward in America's Cup history.
The fourth race saw a complete turn in fortune, as now KZ 7 experienced a number of uncommon structural failures which snowballed due to the actions of the skipper and crew, the result being Kiwi Magic blowing her backstay in an abrupt gibe, losing to Stars & Stripes by 3 minutes 38 seconds.
The fifth race was extremely competitive, with Stars & Stripes taking the initial lead on the first windward leg as she did in the first four races, but on the second beat to windward her Number 6 genoa blew to pieces and the Kiwis closed the gap.  All hands went forward to clear the wreckage and hoist the Number 7 genoa, and Stars & Stripes held on to the slimmest of leads throughout the next four legs.  Rounding the final mark she held a six-second lead, but here Dickson made one of the rare mistakes of his summer and struck the mark, forcing KZ 7 to round again and ending all hope they had of winning the race.   Stars & Stripes 87 took the series, four wins to one.  Perhaps Michael Fay summed up their effort best:
"We did the best we could.  We couldn't beat the other guy on the day, and we've got to shake his hand and say 'Well done' because that's what happened.  They did a very good job and they beat us."Added Chris Dickson:  "The best boat won.  Thirteen years beat thirteen months experience.  Congratulations guys."Following the completion of the race, Gianfranco Alberini, Commodore, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, the Challenge Club of Record responsible for organizing the challenger selection process had at last completed his responsibilities.
"We have concluded today two hundred and twenty three races.  It was quite an historic performances, and I think it will go down in the Guinness records. Two hundred twenty three races, very successful for sure, selecting the two best yachts for the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, and the best challenger for the America's Cup 87."
champion victor conqueror first place triumph