Australia II, 1983 winner of the America’s Cup | Western Australian Museum Australia II, 1983 winner of the America’s Cup Collection Highlights | Updated 3 years ago Australia II (MHK D2/458) Image copyright of WA Museum On 26 September 1983, the yacht Australia II made history when the oldest sporting trophy in the world, the America’s Cup, was wrested from the Americans after 132 years. The Australia II was owned and built by a syndicate Western Australians headed by former businessman Alan Bond. The syndicate had unsuccessfully challenged for the Cup three times, which had been held by the New York Yacht Club since 1851, but the syndicate was determined to bring home the ‘auld mug’ in 1983. The designer of Australia II, Ben Lexcen, had conceived a winged keel that under secret testing in the Netherlands had out-performed conventional keels. The yacht was built in Cottesloe by local boatbuilder Steve Ward.

The crew was based in Perth and undertook a rigorous training program to prepare them for the series of races that would determine the challenger for the America’s Cup, held in Newport, Rhode Island. Following the success of Australia II in the Round Robin series to select a challenger for the Cup, the yacht raced in the best of seven races to determine the ultimate winner. At the end of four races, with the score 3-1 against them, the crew of Australia II faced an enormous challenge. Against all the odds Australia II went on to win the remaining three races, becoming the first non-American yacht to win the Cup. In 1988 the yacht and associated material was bought by the Australian government for $2,000,000, and accessioned into the National Museum of Australia collection. The yacht was subsequently displayed in Fremantle before a new home in Sydney, the Australian National Maritime Museum, was prepared. In 1995 the Australian government offered the yacht back to the Western Australian community, recognising the value of conserving objects in their original place. A purpose-built facility to house the yacht was proposed.

The museum, located at the western end of Victoria Quay in Fremantle, was completed in May 2002 and installation of the Museum’s exhibition completed for opening in December of the same year. The yacht Australia II is displayed in a defining moment of the final race. Having just passed the American boat Liberty on the last downwind leg, Australia II is fast approaching the last rounding mark, the America’s cup buoy. The yacht is heeled to approximately 9 degrees as it approaches the mark, to begin the final leg to the finish. During the final windward beat Australia II tacked many times to defend their precious lead. At 5.21pm the yacht crossed the line to win the America’s Cup. AMERICA'S CUP TO AUSTRALIA II AS 132-YEAR U.S. REIGN ENDS - NYTimes.com AMERICA'S CUP TO AUSTRALIA II AS 132-YEAR U.S. REIGN ENDS By JOANNE A. FISHMAN, Special to the New York Times Published: September 27, 1983 NEWPORT, R. I., Sept.

26— Australia II today became the first challenger ever to win the America's Cup, defeating Liberty in the seventh and final race and bringing a dramatic end to the longest winning streak in sports. Australia II trailed by 57 seconds as the boats rounded the fourth of six legs on Rhode Island Sound, but driven by a light southwesterly breeze, she used her superior downwind speed to pull ahead midway through the fifth leg. Under a soft blue, cloud-streaked sky, and watched by 1,500 spectator boats and a swarm of aircraft, the challenger crossed the finish line 41 seconds, or about six boat lengths, in front of Liberty. In doing so, Australia II ended the United States' 132-year grasp on the ornate silver pitcher that has been bolted to a glass-enclosed table in the New York Yacht Club. Since the schooner America won the first competition in a race around England's Isle of Wight in 1851, the United States had successfully defended the cup 23 times. The cup will be presented to the commodore of the Royal Perth Yacht Club, the official challenging club that Australia II represents, at noon Tuesday here at Marble House.

The Australian club will then be responsible for living up to the cup's deed of gift, which requires that it be placed in ''friendly competition among nations'' forever. ''Australia II was the better boat today and they beat us and we have no excuses,'' said Dennis Conner, the skipper of Liberty. ''It was very frustrating, but we did the best we could,'' added Conner, who was near tears. John Bertrand, the skipper of Aus tralia II, said the victory represented ''the fulfillment of a dream which has come true.'' Alan Bond, the chairman of the Australia II syndicate, said the first Australian defense of the cup would be in Australian waters in either 1987 or 1988. He said he believed the Royal Perth Yacht Club would continue to call the cup the America's Cup, saying ''it would be a great break with tradition'' if it was not. Pressure to Win Enormous The pressure to win this series has been enormous for both of the competing crews following a summer of conflict regarding the legality of Australia II's unusual winged keel. The Australians had hidden the keel from view since the yacht arrived here in early June, intensifying the controversy surrounding it.

The New York Yacht Club, which stages the cup competition, contended that the wings gave Australia II an unfair advantage in speed and maneuverability, and that the net effect of the wings was to make Australia II sail faster than its 12-Meter rating. The N.Y.Y.C. dropped its objection when it was revealed that a British challenger with a similar keel had been rated a 12-Meter. Once Australia II docked today, Bond stepped aboard the tender, raised his arms in the manner of a conductor and Australia II was hoisted out of the water without its security skirt, displaying the keel in public for the first time. Ben Lexcen, the boat's designer, described it as ''an upside-down keel.'' U.S. Fears Prove True Once the four-of-seven-race final series got under way 12 days ago, the fears of the Americans proved true. Australia II was generally faster in straight line speed and faster through the tacks than Liberty. This left Liberty to rely on the wits and experience of Conner, who had successfully defended with Freedom in 1980.

Although Liberty won the first two races and later moved ahead by 3-1, Australia II's speed made her a threat to do exactly what she did - win the next three races. For Bond, today's victory brought a prize that had eluded him for more than a decade, in a pursuit that cost him more than $16 million. Bond had said before today's race that if Australia II won, the victory would belong to the designer Lexcen, ''because he has put so much of himself in it.'' Lexcen has devoted the last 12 years to designing Bond's yachts, which have been the challengers for the previous three cup series. Disappointing Ending For Conner, a 41-year old drapery manufacturer from San Diego, and his crew and supporters, the loss represents a disappointing end to two and a half years of work to defend the cup. In today's race, Australia II proved unstoppable. The start was delayed 55 minutes while the race committee waited for the breeze to stabilize. The 24.3-mile race was begun in an 8-knot wind with numerous small shifts.

Liberty had a perfect start, crossing the line 8 seconds ahead of Australia II and in the better position. Shortly before the start, both yachts approached the line on starboard tack with Liberty to windward. Liberty then tacked to drive for the right side of the line on this first leg, which is always sailed into the wind. In a southwesterly breeze, the right side of the course has tended to be favored by the wind shifts. But by the time the two yachts crossed tacks 18 minutes into the race, Australia II was significantly ahead. Playing the wind shifts, Liberty gradually caught up and 44 minutes into the race regained the lead. Liberty streaked round the first mark with a 29-second lead. The America's Cup course is a triangle followed by windward-leeward-windward legs. The second and third legs are reaches. Liberty expanded its lead to 45 seconds on the second leg, but the Australians whittled it down to 23 seconds on the third. On the second upwind leg, though, Liberty remarkably drove ahead to a 57-second lead. But the downwind leg proved Liberty's undoing.

The boats jibed downwind for maximum speed rather than sail directly to the mark. And Australia II, with its ability to tack downwind faster, simply sailed at smaller angles to the mark but went as fast as Liberty, and consequently she arrived at the mark first, with a lead of 21 seconds. Conner acknowledged that that downwind run was critical. ''We tried to tack on the wind shifts,'' he said. ''We tried to hang in there and be patient, but they were able to sail lower and faster and they were able to sail through us.'' A Tight Cover With this lead, Australia II had control of the rest of the race on the final leg upwind to the finish. Australia II kept a tight cover on Liberty. Liberty tried desperately to escape from the wind shadow cast by Australia II, and instituted a series of short tacks. But everytime Liberty tacked, trying to find clear air, Australia II tacked and held her down to win. action photo Australia II model America's Cup Winner In 1983, the 12-meter sloop Australia II broke the longest-running winning streak in the history of sport.

She defeated the United States defender Liberty and took the America's Cup from the United States for the first time ever in the sport's history of 132 years. Australia II's radically designed "winged keel" was perhaps the most decisive factor contributing to the spectacular victory. It is somewhat shorter than a regular keel. It's narrower where it leaves the hull, and long at the bottom. For about half of its length on the bottom it has protrusions that stick out on each side. The protrusions poke down at about 20 degrees. The first of the seven America's Cup races took place on September 14, with the defender Liberty, Dennis Conner at the helm, defeating Australia II by a margin of 1 minute, 10 seconds. Liberty took the second race with a lead of 1:33, but the third race was called because neither vessel finished within the 5-hour, 15-minute time limit. When the race was called, Australia II was nearly 6 minutes ahead of Liberty. The next day, Australia II won her first race by 3:14, a record margin in Cup competition.

The fourth race, which Conner is said to have sailed "perfectly," brought the series to 3-1 in favor of Liberty. In race five, Australia II posted a commanding lead of 1:47, and in the sixth, she established a new record margin of 3:25! In the seventh and last race, Liberty led until the fourth mark, when Australia II began to pull away. On the last leg of the race, Conner tried to beat the Australians in a tacking duel—47 tacks in all—but the challengers nipped across the line in a time of 4 hours, 15 minutes, and 29 seconds-- 43 seconds ahead of Liberty. Australia II was the first challenger to take the America's Cup. Upon her return to home, Australia II was exhibited at the National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

This Australia II model features: Scratch-built Superior hollow hull construction (very important) All wooden and metal parts Marquetry wood base Australia II wins the America's Cup - Australian Geographic Tweet THE DATE, 25 SEPTEMBER 1983, remains vivid in the memories of Australians who watched - perched on the edge of their sofas, thrusting into the air punches of elation - as Australia II crossed the America's Cup finishing line at Newport, USA. It was one of those events where you can remember what you were doing at the precise moment they saw or heard the good news. And, it moved then Prime Minister Bob Hawke enough to famously declare: "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum." Breaking 132 years of America's Cup domination Australians love the water, but yachting is not a spectator sport for the masses. Why then, did the win have such an enormous impact?

John Bertrand, skipper of Australia II and now chairman of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, says the many superb performances by Australians - notably Cathy Freeman's gold medal sprint in the Sydney Olympics and Kieran Perkins' win from lane 8 at the Atlanta Olympics - make it difficult to choose the ultimate achievement in Australian sporting history. "We broke 132 years of American domination in winning the America's Cup - we're proud of that!" says John. It was a glow that was shared by many in the country, and more people chose to become naturalised Australians shortly after the win, than ever before or since. John says; "People felt part of this country for the first time. Certainly there was a great injection of both pride and confidence into the country." Australia II's controversial keel What about the controversy surrounding the secret weapon that gave the Australian yacht its advantage over its American competitor - the upside down, winged keel? There has been a perennial argument over whether Australia II should have been disqualified because the rules specified that competing yachts had to be designed by residents or citizens of the country they represented. The Americans alleged, but couldn't prove, the boat was not Australian-designed.

Then, in 2009, Dutch boat designer Peter van Oossanen claimed Australian II designer, Ben Lexcen, had minimal involvement in the keel's design, and a Dutch team were the true designers. John claims it's a technicality. "Success has many fathers; failure has none," he says. "To win the Cup required a great deal of work by many people, but in terms of any controversy, the key was [that] Ben Lexcen was the chief designer. So under the rules, Australia II was totally legal. Of course, the America's Cup rules now don't even consider nationality." Today, Australia II calls home the Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle. RELATED ARTICLES America's Cup 1983 - Full Story on Australian Story - YouTube America's Cup 1983 - Full Story on Australian Story Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Apr 15, 2013 Down By The Sea. Parts 1&2.

Australian Story revisits The America's Cup yacht race challenge of 1983, 30th 30 years anniversary. Australia II won wins, beats defeats "Liberty" Dennis Conner, New York yacht club. Alan Bond, john Bertrand, Ben Lexen,Warren Jones, Ken Beashel, John Longley, Hugh Treharne, Grant Simmer, Bob Hawke.Introduced by Ray Martin. Rob Mundle, Barbara Lloyd. Oracle wins the America's Cup 25th September 2013 25/11/2013 Racing Team USA San Francisco Defenders Challengers USA oracle defeats NZ.New Zealand looses. Oracle Team USA Aussie Skipper Jimmy Spithill crew As seen on ABC TV Australia 8th & 15th April 2013. Category AUSTRALIA II BEATS LIBERTY BY 1 - 47 - NYTimes.com AUSTRALIA II BEATS LIBERTY BY 1:47 By JOANNE A. FISHMAN, Special to the New York Times Published: September 22, 1983 NEWPORT, R.I., Sept.

21— Australia II today defeated Liberty, which had gear problems, by 1 minute 47 seconds in the fifth race of the 25th America's Cup series. Liberty still leads the four-of-seven series, 3-2, and the sixth and possibly final race will be sailed Thursday. Powered by 16- to 18-knot southwesterly winds, Australia II, the yacht with the controversial winged keel, sailed through the choppy seas with the drive of a locomotive, living up to its billing as the stiffest challenge to the cup in its 132-year history. The only other time a challenger has won as many as two races from a defender was in 1934, when Endeavour of Britain met Rainbow. Rainbow won, 4-2. But since 1958, when the cup races have been between 12- Meter yachts, no challenger had defeated a defender more than once in a cup series.

A jubilant Alan Bond, chairman of the Australia II syndicate, said today's victory shows ''we can win in any wind conditions.'' A weary-looking Dennis Conner, skipper of Liberty, said of Australia II's sailing closer to the wind: ''They point higher and go faster.'' Problems Begin Before Start Liberty's problems began about 55 minutes before the start when one of the hydraulic jumper struts that control the top part of the mast broke. The jumper strut, located on the mast about 70 feet off the water, bent aft 90 degrees and collapsed. While Rhonda, one of Liberty's crash boats, raced nine miles back to shore to pick up a spare part, two members of the Liberty crew, Tom Rich and Scott Vogel, were hoisted aloft to start removing the broken strut. The two were up the mast in the rough seas for 35 minutes until they replaced the strut. But several minutes after the start, the same hydraulic strut broke again. Until then, said Conner, Liberty was ''going along fine'' with Australia II. The gear failure caused the top part of the mast to lean too far to leeward when the yacht was on starboard tack, hindering its performance.

'Touch-and-Go' ''It was very touch-and-go whether we could sail,'' said John Marshall, Liberty's mainsail trimmer. At the start, Liberty and Australia II were approaching the pin end of the line, which was favored, on starboard tack, but they were too early. Liberty tacked back to port, ran down the line in the other direction and then headed up to cross. Australia II was almost stalled at the pin end, nosed over the line before the gun, and had to re- start. This gave Liberty a lead of 37 seconds across the line. Australia II, driven by John Bertrand, crossed again on starboard and continued to the left side of the line. Australia II then picked up a favorable 5-degree wind shift, which, in turn, hurt Liberty, which was on the opposite side of the course. No Room for Error Bertrand said later he believed Conner had made a mistake in not covering Australia II when it went to the left side of the course after the start. Bond pointed out that because the competition is so close, there is no room for error.

Right from the start, though, it was clear that Australia II was not heeling as much as Liberty and was sailing closer to the wind. The white-hulled Australian yacht is 4,500 pounds lighter than Liberty but because of its unique keel, with two delta-type wings that weigh more than a ton each, it has great stability. The wings also give it greater draft and thus improved upwind performance. Strongest Breeze Yet While the yacht has been obviously faster than Liberty in light airs, this was the strongest breeze in which the pair have raced so far and it looked as if Australia II was handling both the wind and sea conditions with ease. It was not pitching as much as driving through the seas. Australia II continued up the left side of the course while Liberty was on the right. When they first met in the middle 27 minutes into the race, Liberty was still ahead by a small margin, but as the yachts continued tacking up the first leg, Australia II edged ahead with each tack. A few minutes and four tacks later, Australia II was ahead by a hair.

After about 15 more tacks, with Australia II covering Liberty tack for tack, Australia II rounded the first mark with a 23-second lead. This meant it gained a total of 60 seconds on that first leg. On the second and third legs, both reaching legs, Australia II led by 23 seconds and then 18 seconds. Power reaching, or reaching in at full speed, was supposed to be the point of sail on which Liberty was stronger than Australia II. 'Nothing We Could Do' Before the fourth leg, or second upwind leg, the committee boat signalled the upwind buoy had been moved 5 degrees to the east because of a wind shift. On this leg, Liberty threw in a number of tacks, but Australia II continued to move ahead on each one. By the fourth mark, Australia II led by 1 minute 11 seconds. And while Liberty shaved 19 seconds off this lead on the downwind leg, Australia II finished 1 minute 47 seconds ahead. ''They were gaining on tacking and straight line boat speed,'' explained Marshall. ''There was nothing we could do about it.'' Marshall said the Americans have known all along, ''we were racing a tough animal.

''Dennis made a nice start,'' he added. ''If we could have given him more speed, we would have won.'' Thursday's forecast calls for northwest winds of 10 to 20 knots. Australia II had raised its protest flag today several minutes, before the start of the race but the protest was later withdrawn. action photo Sails Magazine - 1983 The real story SAILS 21 PUBLISHED AUGUST 2013 1983 The real story Editor-at-large Peter Campbell was at Newport, Rhode Island thirty years ago this September to experience the extraordinary drama and ultimate victory of Australia II in the 1983 America’s Cup Challenge Match. Images Daniel Forster / Peter Campbell September 26, 2013 will mark the 30th anniversary of the day the famous ‘wing-keeled wonder from Down Under’, Australia II, ended the longest winning streak in world sporting history, 132 years, when she defeated the New York Yacht Club’s Liberty to win the America’s Cup.

Not only that, it was the most drawn-out defence in the history of the America’s Cup, sailed off Newport, Rhode Island, with the seven races and other attempts to race spread from September 13 though to September 26. The Cup was a grand joust between two of the world’s finest helmsmen, John Bertrand representing Royal Perth Yacht Club with Australia II, Dennis Conner skippering the New York Yacht Club’s Liberty. That was back in the grand days of the 12-metre class, so-called ‘lead mines’ designed and built within the metre rule. Australia II designer Ben Lexcen, left, shares a moment with the formidable skipper of Liberty, Dennis Conner. The ‘twelves’ were ideal for match racing. While Australia II and Liberty differed in concept, in reality there was little difference between them in boat speed, except when it came to running deep under spinnaker, where Australia II excelled. And that, plus fine tactics, accurate steering and fine trimming of a more stable spinnaker built for light airs, gave her the winning edge in race seven – and the America’s Cup.

From my observations as a daily newspaper reporter at Newport for several weeks before the Challenge Match, it was clear that Alan Bond had a potential Cup winner in Australia II, with Ben Lexcen not only creating the then-secret winged keeled, but also a beautiful underwater shape, keel, rudder and trim tab. We almost lost, however, because of technical mishaps in the first two races, but the courage and tenacity of Bertrand and his fine crew of Aussies finally unbolted the seemingly immovable ‘Auld Mug’ from its pedestal in the New York Yacht Club. Not only that, they made Men At Work’s Down Under an alternative sailing national anthem and the boxing kangaroo flag the international emblem for Australian sportsmen and women. Patriotic fervour reaches fever pitch as Newport Rhode Island turned green and gold on that September day. Most Aussies I know can recall where they were on the morning of September 26, 1983, when Australia II won that epic battle.

As Alan Bond said at a 20th anniversary celebration: “People remember Hillary for climbing Mount Everest, and they will remember us for winning the Cup.” Bond and Bertrand will join other members of the victorious crew and its support team at a special 30th anniversary luncheon at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel on September 26. A feature will be a discussion panel between Bond, Bertrand and other members of the crew. “Looking back at 1983, Australia was coming out of a tough recession, we had been severely affected by bushfires and floods,” Bertrand said recently. “I think the way we were able to come back from 3-1 down, with our backs to the wall, to break the 132-year winning streak by the Americans captured the imagination of the Australian population, and in many ways that continues today. “The campaign was the ultimate team performance, our team culture was of resilience. We came back from the dead to win,” he added. A month before the 30th anniversary of the 1983 victory, Bertand and other crew members will gather once again, this time in San Francisco to experience the current America’s Cup.

The full version of this article in Sails magazine (print and digital editions) has an exclusive interview with John Bertrand, extracts from a fascinating Q&A session at Sydney Amateur Sailing Club with Australia II’s tactician Hugh Treharne, while I look back at that historic team at Newport, Rhode Island, culminating in the ‘race of the century. THE RACE OF THE CENTURY Peter Campbell, who watched Australia II’s epic victory from a nearby press boat, recalls just how it went thirty years ago. Alan Bond’s bid to win the America’s Cup became even more dedicated following the 1980 Challenge which saw Australia win one race against Dennis Conner’s diligence and professional hardness at the helm of the race-tuned US defender Freedom. Bond felt the gap between the defender and challenger was gradually being whittled away and he announced immediately that he had commissioned two new designs from Ben Lexcen. He named as skipper of the 1983 challenger the Olympic bronze medallist in the Laser class, John Bertrand.

Encouraged by the narrowing of the gap and by the New York Yacht Club’s decision to set aside its draconian rule forbidding any yacht to use technology and equipment from any country but its own, clubs from all over the world sent in challenges. Australian clubs lodged four challengers and Great Britain two. France and Sweden entered again, along with Canada (challenging for the first time since 1881) while Italy entered with a syndicate headed by none other than the Aga Khan. The NYYC, acknowledging the increased competitiveness of the foreign syndicates, began to make moves to protect their coveted Cup. Among these was a manoeuvre to have bendy masts, used so effectively by Australia in the 1980 America’s Cup campaign, outlawed and stipulated that all yachts had to be crewed by nationals only. All the challengers planned long and meticulous campaigns. The assault on the Cup had never reached such extreme heights of intensity and fierce rivalry. Transferred to the water the hopes and dreams of the foreign contingent paled against the awesome determination of the Australians in the form of Australia II.

She soon won the two elimination series to become the official challenger with unnerving ease, confirming that Alan Bond had indeed produced a very remarkable boat. The secret winged keel was, of course, her most innovative feature but this was kept out of sight until she returned to her dock after winning the seventh and final race of the match for the America’s Cup. The cloak of secrecy that surrounded the controversial keel allowed the Australian camp to keep the tension and pressure on the Americans at fever pitch. The Australia II team ensured the infamous winged keel remained a mystery until after the Auld Mug was safely secured. Well aware of Australia II’s potential and with much conjecture about the shape of the boat’s underwater hull and appendages, the New York Yacht Club launched an attack to declare the winged keel illegal and sink the challenger before it got into the water. However, the Australian team had done their homework, and had prepared themselves for the inevitable confrontation with the NYYC committee.

Bond’s syndicate had researched the legalities of a winged keel thoroughly and despite the NYYC’s final appeal to the International Measurements Committee, the Australian challenger was declared a legal International 12-metre Class yacht, meeting all the requirements as Challenger for the America’s Cup. And so the greatest sailing contest in the history of the ‘Auld Mug’ began on Rhode Island Sound, off the historic port city of Newport, Rhode Island on Tuesday September 13, 1983. Aboard a spectator fleet estimated at between 1500 and 2000 boats, 30 coast guard vessels, at least 60 helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft and the massive Goodyear blimp, thousands of onlookers waited with apprehension. Australia II benefactor Alan Bond will revisit the 1983 America’s Cup triumph at a special anniversary event at the Sydney Hilton on September 26.

At precisely 12.10 on September 14, 1983, the NYYC Race Committee, aboard Black Knight, dressed in Brenton red trousers, black reefer jackets, white shirts and NYYC ties, hoisted the course signals in a light NNE breeze. But the wind shifted dramatically in direction for the next two hours, and at 2.08pm, the race was abandoned. Supporters, mostly of NYYC, aboard one of the 2000 spectator boats. The America’s Cup match race eventually began the following day and with it the most extraordinary yachting contest in history, The first two races between John Bertrand, helming Australia II, and Liberty, steered by the experienced Dennis Conner, showed that while Australia II was a formidable opponent she was vulnerable in certain conditions. For example, she could not stay head to wind for long periods in luffing matches leading up to a race start. While this marginally reduced Australia II’s competitive edge over Liberty at race starts, it was gear failure that very nearly brought her to her knees.

Australia II’s hopes were lifted early in race one when she rounded the first windward mark eight seconds ahead of Liberty amid the howls and whoops and horns from nearby Aussie spectators. It was the first time in the modern history of the America’s Cup that a challenger had led an American defender around the first mark of the course. The race continued boat-for-boat with Liberty regaining the lead. Approaching the leeward mark for the last time, the two twelves were engaged in a fierce gybing duel when, in a moment of severe stress, one of Australia II’s underdeck pulleys linking the rudder to the wheel ripped out of its welded jacket. Without steering, Australia II went into a wild, out of control broach. Tactician Hugh Treharne immediately dashed below to sort out the damage while helmsman John Bertrand regained control, steering the boat for ten minutes under trim tab alone. But the damage was already done and Liberty sailed away to windward to win race one by one minute and 10 seconds. The second race was won comfortably by Liberty, but in fact the Australians had virtually lost it before it began.

Six minutes before the start, while Australia II was gybing in a violent 24-knot gust, the uppermost of two specially hardened steel lugs used to secure the mainsail headboard at the masthead broke. The headboard dropped, ripping part of the mainsail and dropping the boom to deck level. Eventually, by adjusting the forestay, the crew was able to return some tension to the rig and Bertrand again took on Liberty in a tacking duel up the first leg. However, when on port tack Australia II looked like a pathetic white bird with a crippled wing. In a courageous effort, mainsail trimmer Colin Beashel spent most of the two reaching legs in the bosun’s chair high above the deck of Australia II securing the damaged headboard. Clinging precariously to the mast he punched a hole in the aluminium flat reinforcing the headboard with a marlin spike, then threading Kevlar tape through the hole and securing it to the masthead. In the end, Liberty had a comfortable win, by one minute and 13 seconds, again perhaps by default as a result of Australia II’s breakages.

With things looking rather desperate for the Australians going into the third race two down, Australia II stormed home to win by three minutes and 14 seconds, the largest winning margin by a challenger in the history of the Cup. There was no doubt that Australia II had the ability to win the match, but Conner had shown that superior design needed the equivalent in sailing skills to draw the best performance out of the boat. Australia II lost the start of race three badly, trailing by 37 seconds, but her eagle-eyed afterguard saw a slight wind shift on the waters of Rhode Island Sound. Bertrand steered Australia II into a 10-degree wind shift that put them in front of Liberty. Once ahead, Bertrand and his crew covered Liberty’s every move and pulled away to register an impressively resounding win. In race four, Liberty won the start by six seconds, and the race by less than a minute. Conner sailed away, his tactician Tom Whidden picking virtually every wind shift. At the first mark Liberty was 36 seconds ahead. At the leeward mark at the end of the triangle the margin was 48 seconds.

Australia II was never able to lower the margin, prompting John Bertrand’s comment back at the dock, “I’ll never endure a humiliation like that again!” The tall Australian skipper was as good as his word. At 3-1 down, Australia II was about to earn its place in America’s Cup history. After so many mechanical faults in the earlier races, there were those (Australia II supporters, of course) who thought it fitting and proper that the Americans have some of their own. An hour before the start of race five, Liberty, while tuning up with trial horse Freedom, bent the stainless steel ram that tensions the aluminium jumper struts. The struts collapsed, and with them went effective control of the upper third of the US boat’s mast and along with it, control of the upper part of Liberty’s powerful mainsail. A fast support boat dashed the 11 nautical miles back to Castle Hill at the entrance to Newport’s Narrangansett Bay to pick up spare jumpers. The replacement was passed to Liberty’s crew just two minutes before the ten minute warning gun sounded. Minutes into the race, Liberty’s port jumper strut gave way again and Conner was forced to sail without proper mast tension on port tack.

It was a severe disadvantage which Bertrand tried to capitalise on, and after a tense tacking duel Australia II rounded the top mark 23 seconds ahead, increasing to a winning margin of one minute and 47 seconds. It was the first time in America’s Cup history that a 12-metre challenger had won two races in a Cup match. Gretel II finished first in two races in 1970 but was disqualified from one by what was then the NYYC’s own protest committee. This evoked Sir Frank Packer’s famous comment: “Protesting the New York Yacht Club is like complaining to your mother-in-law about your wife! Thursday September 22 was an historic day for Australia II and the America’s Cup competition. With the score at 3-2, Dennis Conner needed just one more win to keep the historic silver trophy bolted to its base in the NYYC’s clubhouse in New York – for John Bertrand it was do or die. For the third successive race, Bertrand misjudged the start of race six, giving Conner an early lead and command of the race tactics.

However, the light breeze was patchy on the first windward leg and Australia II lifted into a favourable shift that took her to a huge lead of two minutes and 29 seconds. In a desperate move, Conner seemingly attempted to force a foul (and possible disqualification of the Australians) by deliberately sailing close to Australia II, with Liberty close hauled on the right-of-way starboard tack and Australia II running downwind under spinnaker, comfortably in front. Bertrand anticipated the American’s move and hardened up, sailing a couple of boat lengths clear of the defender as they passed each other. Australia II went on to win race six by three minutes and 25 seconds, the widest margin ever by a 12-metre, and thus becoming the first challenger in the history of the America’s Cup to square a match three-all. Newport, Rhode Island erupted as Australia II sailed proudly back into Rhode Island Sound. News stories flashed around the world and the American population, most of whom had never before heard of an elite yachting event called the America’s Cup, began to take notice.

Americans in their thousands joined hundreds of Australians to stand twelve deep around the Australia II dock, cheering wildly as loudspeakers blasted the challenger’s anthem, ‘Down Under’. After 21 years of trying with four challengers, Alan Bond, the tubby English-born one-time sign-writer who had become a multi-millionaire and yachting aficionado, looked to be on the brink of achieving his goal. Bond called a lay day before the final and deciding race, giving his crew a day’s rest and time for yet another meticulous check of the boat by the shore team. The first attempt by NYYC’s race committee to conduct the seventh and deciding race on September 24 was abandoned after two aborted attempts. Another start was aborted on the morning of Monday September 26, but at 1.05pm, in a light breeze of 205 degrees, what was to be the race of century finally got under way in front of a huge spectator fleet, estimated at 2000 boats, while around the world millions viewed the showdown on television. In Australia it was well after midnight but in many a home and in yacht clubs, the lights burned until dawn.

Dennis Conner and the Liberty team in relaxed mood prior to the epic final race. Dennis Conner again won the start after some cautious manoeuvres by both skippers. He immediately went looking for shifts that might compensate for Australia II’s phenomenal light air ability. Affectively covering Australia II, Liberty rounded the first windward mark 29 seconds ahead. The Americans had picked up a further 16 seconds by the wing (gybe) mark. A 10-degree windshift had changed this first broad reach into a very tight one, but it also made the next leg to the leeward mark a square run, a point of sailing on which Australia II was clearly superior. She closed to just 23 seconds astern of Liberty at the bottom mark. Conner sailed a magnificent next windward leg, covering Bertrand’s every move and increasing Liberty’s lead to 57 seconds. Aboard the press boat, Hell Cat, many media and other spectators claimed the race was over. But Australia II’s incredible downwind speed was again to prove to be her trump card.

Two-thirds of the way down the final downwind leg, Australia II, sailing deeply and with a new, more stable spinnaker, had run down Liberty and at the end of the leg she was 21 seconds in front. Aboard Hell Cat, it was an awe-inspiring sight, watching the big white kite with its green and gold bars, slip past Liberty’s red, white and blue spinnaker. Watching from the press boat Hell Cat (a very descriptive name) I thought at first that Conner had picked the more favourable gybe. Then, peering through binoculars from half a mile astern, I realised that Bertrand and his afterguard had decided there was no point in following Liberty. In fact, they felt there was more wind to the right. They sailed into more pressure in the light to moderate breeze and when the two twelves came together in the leeward mark Australia II was in front, rounding 21 seconds ahead. But there was still four and a half nautical miles to sail and Conner showed he would fight every inch of the way.

The American did everything possible that all the years of hard professional yacht racing had instilled in him to break through, but Bertrand covered Liberty with all the intensity of a man within reach of greatness and glory. In one last desperate attempt to outfox the challenger, Conner lured the Australians to the very edge of the spectator fleet on the starboard side of the layline in the hope that Australia II might get entangled in the confused sea and dirty air from the armada of spectator boats. But Bertrand kept his cool and, with constant advice from tactician Hugh Treharne and navigator Grant Simmer, waited until he was certain Australia II would lay the finish line, he turned the 12-metre, leaving Liberty trailing in his wake. As Australia II approached the committee boat, on starboard tack, her crew sat tense and silent, Bertrand gently moving the helm to maintain optimum speed in the light breeze. Even when they heard the gun and the white smoke drifted past there was a strange, stunned silence. Australia II had sensationally won the final race by 42 seconds and the America’s Cup, 4-3.

That moment of silence for the crew did not last long, as Alan Bond and Ben Lexcen came sweeping alongside in an inflatable to join those magnificent men on their sailing machine. Aboard the spectator and media boats emotions ran high. We had been witness to an unprecedented event in world sport, an international challenge match never seen before. Aboard Hell Cat, an emotional Aussie journalist roared into his microphone to a huge audience: “Stand up Australia, stand up Australia and gives these boys a cheer… Australia II has won the America’s Cup.” The late Ben Lexcen (with glasses) basks in Australian yachting’s most famous victory, which Alan Bond (right) described as the “sporting triumph of the century. Bruce Stannard, in a voice cracked with emotion, yelled into his microphone to a vast ABC radio audience: “We’ve won; we’ve won the America’s Cup!” For newspaper reporters, back in those days before mobile phones and lap tops, our only communication from the water was to stand in a queue waiting for limited use of the marine radio phone.

Filing our main stories by telex or very basic computer system (mine broke down at that crucial moment) had to wait until we returned to Newport, more than an hour later. Most daily newspapers in Australia had extended their late edition deadlines, with the innovative Melbourne Sun News-Pictorial bringing out a special 7am Victory Edition with a huge image of the ‘Auld Mug’ and a green and gold banner headline with ‘It’s ours! Aussies sail into victory’ over my story, filed eventually from Newport, Rhode Island. Wild celebrations continued through the late afternoon and evening as Australia II sailed sedately back into Newport Harbour and through a maze of small craft slid back into her berth. By this time, thousands of people had packed the outside of the compound, hopefully waiting to see the fantastic but until then, secretive, winged keel. “Let’s see the keel… let’s see the keel” they chanted until eventually a beaming Alan Bond stood on the stern of the Australia II tender Black Swan and gave the signal like an orchestra conductor commanding a curtain rise. Alan Bond stood on the stern of the Australia II tender Black Swan and gave the signal like an orchestra conductor commanding a curtain rise.

Bruce Stannard, editor of the book Australia II – The Official Record, wrote: “Up, up, up it inched like a striptease artist, gradually revealing more and more of that white curved underbody that had remained hidden behind the green canvas skirts for so long. As it rose, there was a growing crescendo of cheers and applause, as first the keel’s radical forward sloping edge was revealed, then the short thick trunk, beautifully tapered in an aerodynamic curve, like a powerful glistening aircraft wing. Finally, the tips of the wings broke the surface, exposed to the world under the glare of arc lights and a thousand popping camera flash lights. “The keel looked for all the world like a beautiful living thing, a sea creature from the very depths of the ocean, suddenly risen to see for itself what all the noise and fuss was about. It was a strange, almost irridescent blue and white, a camouflage of colours to mask its true shape from aerial photographers who might have captured an image of it on a clear day.

“All the hassles with the NYYC, all the intrigue of Canadian divers, all the accusations and innuendos about Dutch designers had created a aura about this winged keel that drew people forward and compelled them to reach out and touch it. They stroked it, kissed it and hugged it. One man paddled out on a surfboard, dressed in a tuxedo carrying a bottle of champagne and a glass. He plonked the bottle on the left hand wing and raised a glass in salute.” Jubilant scenes greeted the sensational post-race unveiling of the winged keel. Many more glasses were raised in Newport that night, but none of us had any concept of the nationwide elation and celebrations throughout Australia led by Prime Minister Bob Hawke. All I knew was the constant demand from my editor at the Sun- News Pictorial for “more copy…more copy” for a Victory feature.

Chevalier Taglang: AMERICA'CUP 25th CHALLENGE - AMERICA'S CUP 1983 - AUSTRALIA II KA 6 - 12 METER IR AMERICA'CUP 25th CHALLENGE - AMERICA'S CUP 1983 - AUSTRALIA II KA 6 - 12 METER IR AUSTRALIA II – KA 6 – Winner of the 25th America’s Cup Challenge in 1983, Newport R.I. The Australian challenger defeated the NYYC defender Liberty – US 40 – 4 wins to 3. In 1986, Australia II was the trial horse for the America’s Cup Defence 1987 Ltd., “Bond Syndicate” of the Royal Perth Yacht Club. By Jacques Taglang ©François Chevalier - In the book: America's Cup Yacht Designs 1851-1986, by Chevalier & Taglang “The day of her maiden voyage was a major occasion. The place was packed, and Benny (Ben Lexcen) was floating somewhere between the dock and seventh heaven. It was a heart-warming sight.

Here was this huge, good-natured, slightly chaotic man, who can swear like a drunken bushwhacker, walking around as if on air, with his arms often spread wide before his new creation, as if conducting a Vivaldi concerto. In his considered view, Australia II made all other boats seems ugly”. It’s John Bertrand the skipper of Australia II that described this beautiful scene. Nevertheless, when he discovered on spring 1981 the drawings and the model of the challenger endowed with his upside-down winged keel, it was necessary all the enthusiasm of Ben Lexcen and Alan Bond to turn down his skepticism. The hidden winged keel of Australia II Some are still involved in controversy to know who invented the famous keel of Australia II … that matter! Because Ben Lexcen's brilliant blow is to have had the cap to fix such an appendage to the hull of the boat. But how did it happen? In 1980, the NYYC authorized the Australians to use the Dutch tank test of Wageningen. Lexcen spent there 4 months, at the beginning of 1981, with Dutch engineers Peter Van Oossanen and Joop W. Sloff.

Ben designed the drawings of Challenge 12, a conventional design, after having tested 7 models (one third scale), and then he passed to Australia II (more than 400 tests, calculations of keel in 3 D, several hundreds of hours of simulations). The result was surprising: the boat was faster than a conventional twelve and Bond had really got the risk to make build Australia II. The Magic Keel At her maiden sail, John Bertrand discovered the exceptional maneuverability of the boat. Several reasons in it: the bustle had almost disappeared; the presence of an inverted keel; the existence of thick fins fixed on each side of the appendage and peaking down at about 20 degrees (what increases the draft when heeling and reduces the drifting and increases the stiffness. This approach decreased appreciably the wetted surface than any other Twelve. Lexcen so obtained a very "light" displacement and the shortest waterline ever measured on such a boat!

Beyond, the performance of Australia II was also explained by the talent of the New Zealand sailmaker Tom Schnackenberg who had taken care of the totality of the sail program (40 genoas, 10 mainsails, fifty spinnakers), without forgetting the qualities of the crew. This cocktail explained 48 wins in 55 races sailed by Australia II during the 1983 season… In 1983, the challenger had benefited from the support of the press and from the public. It was true that chaste skirt of green canvas "threaded" after every race of the yacht had very fast incited the curiosity of all. The first successes of Australia II in Louis Vuitton Cup had only been adding to the craze. The late and fruitless operations of the NYYC to demonstrate that the keel was not an Australian invention or that it did not enter in the rule were only adding to the confusion of Dennis Conner and Liberty crew. And to strengthen the confidence of the men of Australia II who took away the Cup at the conclusion of a series of 7 races of anthology. The ultimate race, September 25th, 1983. Australia II wins the Cup!

Having served as trial horse in the defense at Fremantle in 1986, the boat was on display in National Maritime Museum of Sydney. In the 1990s, the State government of Western Australia succeeded in getting back Australia II, which sailed in August, 2001 in regatta of the Jubilee of Cup, at Cowes, served by the quasi-totality of the crew which had led her to the victory in 1983. Australia II is henceforth a part of collections of the Western Australian Maritime Museum of Fremantle! Ben Lexcen, Australia II's designer & Alan Bond with the Cup John Bertrand, Australia II's skipper & Alan Bond AUSTRALIA II Australia. Royal Perth Yacht Club Challenger, winner of the 25th America’s Cup 1983 (won the last 7th race, sailed on September 25, 1983) Original owner: America’s Cup Challenge 1983, Alan Bond (Royal Perth Yacht Club). 12 Meter International Rule, sloop Builder: Steve E. Ward & Co., Perth, Cottesloe, Australia.

Sailmaker: Tom “Schnacks” Schnackenberg, sail coordinator. North, Hood, Sobstad Australia. Designer: Ben Lexcen. Research facilities & tank tests: Netherlands Ship Model Basin – NSMB – at Wageningen, Netherlands. Peter Van Oossanen. Models built on 1/3rd scale, 24-foot models, instead of 8-foot models used for Australia I (1977) at the Delft Tank Model Basin, Netherlands, by Johan Valentijn and Ben Lexcen. Hydrodynamics: Joop W. Sloff from Theorythical Aerodynamic Department of the National Aerospace Laboratory, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Built: started in 1981, finished in 1982. 8 months building. Launched: June 3rd, 1982. Christened: June 6th, 1982 by Eileen Bond at Fremantle, Sailing Club in Success Harbor. Original Skipper: John Edwin Bertrand Tactician: Hugh Treharne

Question: What has been won by Australia II and America 3?
Answer: America's Cup