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Ac40 americas cup boat for sale.

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Presenting the AC40, a scaled AC75 foiling day-racer designed by Emirates Team New Zealand and built by McConaghy.

​ A one-design class that brings America’s Cup foiling performance to a competitive racing circuit.

​ With self-tacking headsails and battery power replacing grinders, the yacht is sailed by two helmsmen and two trimmers. An autopilot control system maintains stable flight.

The AC40 hull shape is based on that of Te Rehutai- but is already a generational step forward incorporating a number of developments learned after the completion of AC36 last year.

In usual America’s Cup fashion, the AC40 design and production timeline has been highly condensed yet achievable due to a global collaboration led by Emirates Team New Zealand design team with Dan Bernasconi and Richard Meacham central to the management of the production process with Mark Evans Group Managing Director of McConaghy Boats.

“While the genesis of the AC40 project coming from the familiar design and innovation of the people within the Emirates Team New Zealand design department we have really had to push the limits by utilizing a combination of the best of the New Zealand Marine industry as well as key offshore partnerships.

​ With the likes of Southern Spars and the boat building talent we have at the ETNZ build facility for more specialised elements like the rig and foil arms, we also have a great partnership utilizing the production power of an organisation like McConaghy Boats in China for the hulls, decks and fit out as well as North Sails Marine group with the aero package.” said Meacham.

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America’s Cup 2024

America's cup 2024.

On board with us on the Regatta field

LUXURY AND COMFORT

A dynamic and professional team. 

We accompany you with competence and enthusiasm in your adventure in the America’s Cup 2024.

We offer you the best service on board our boats with professional skippers and hostesses. 

Come on board with us, discover our boats and choose the right experience for you!

Discover our Boats!

Here are our proposals to make this experience unique and unforgettable.

MAXI RIB R11 EFB

Renier r9 efb, dufour 390 gl, tdm is a distinguished italian company specializing in the design and manufacture of teak decks and custom components for prestigious yachts..

The America’s Cup program is in the mood of TDM’s excellence in yachting.

The America’s Cup is the most famous trophy in the sport of sailing, as well as the oldest international sports competition for which it is competed in the twenty-first century.

The first regatta was held in 1851 for the first London World Fair. The British Royal Yacht Squadron presented a silver jug to the winner of their annual 53-nautical mile race around the island of Wight.

It is a series of match race races, that is between only two yachts competing against each other. The two boats belong to two different Yacht Clubs, one representing the holder of the trophy (defender) and the other a challenger yacht club (challenger); the latter is in turn designated through a series of races between various contenders.

• EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND
• CHALLENGERS:
• LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI NYC AMERICAN MAGIC ALINGHI RED BULL RACING ORIENT EXPRESS RACING TEAM

OFFICIAL CALENDAR 2024

• Final Preliminary Regatta: 22nd August – 25th August
• Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin: 29th August – 11th September
• Louis Vuitton Cup Semi Finals: 14th – 23rd September
• Louis Vuitton Cup Finals: 26th September – 5th October
• Louis Vuitton 37^America’s Cup Match: 12th – 27th October
• Unicredit Youth America’s Cup: 17 th – 26th September
• Puig Women’s America’s Cup: 5th – 13th October

EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZELAND

LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI

NYC AMERICAN MAGIC

ALINGHI RED BULL RACING

ORIENT EXPRESS RACING TEAM

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Hulls of the Modern America’s Cup

• By Mark Chisnell
• Updated: January 8, 2021

Hull design has always been the most venerated aspect of an America’s Cup yacht. The name on the drawings has often been remembered with the same reverence as that of the skipper. This might not hold for much longer because the result of the 36th America’s Cup is just as likely to be determined by the work of a systems engineer as by a naval architect.

“The hull design is one aspect of many, but it’s not the ­dominant aspect,” explains Martin Fischer, co-design coordinator (along with Horacio Carabelli) for the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team, who is on his second America’s Cup with the Italian team. “It’s not as it was with the 12 Metre or with version five (of the International America’s Cup Class), where the hull is really almost everything.”

The rules controlling a class are always a good place to start when seeking to understand a race boat because they drive so much of the design; working for the Challenger of Record, Fischer was part of the team that wrote the class rule for the AC75 with the defenders, Emirates Team New Zealand.

In the case of the AC75, the rules, Fischer says, are actually very open. They have little to say on the structure, for instance, requiring only a “minimum areal density of any part of the hull shell” (2 kg/m²). There’s also a limit on the internal volume (at least 70 m³), and after that, much of what’s left deals with details such as water retention, fairing flaps and penetrations.

There are only a few rules that drive the hull shape and its potential performance. “There is the length,” Fischer says. “The overall length is limited to 20.6 meters (minimum, without the bowsprit), while the beam must be 5 meters. Then there are two other very important rules: There is a theoretical capsize test that is done virtually on the computer. If the boat is turned by 90 degrees, the center of buoyancy must be at a certain position.

“This rule has a strong influence on the deck shapes. You might have noticed that all the boats have relatively high freeboard; this is partly for aerodynamics, but also, if you don’t have relatively high freeboard, you don’t pass this capsize test. The next important rule is that there is a minimum requirement for the waterplane inertia.”

Er…the water what?

“If the hull is floating, then you look at the intersection of the hull with the water surface (waterplane), and that gives the surface a certain shape. And then compute the inertia of that shape (it must be at least 20 m4). It’s not important to understand exactly what it is; in the end, it is more or less a measure or a constraint on the ­combination of that surface and its width.”

I’m not going to try to explain the ­calculation of the “second moment of area”—the important thing, according to Fischer, is that you “basically cannot make an extremely narrow hull, so you have to respect a certain area for that surface, and a certain width. The rule on the inertia is also quite type-forming; it imposes widths at the waterline. Of course, we all would like [the hull] to go narrow. Especially when the boat starts going fast, just before takeoff, we all want a narrow hull. And this is why we have these humps ­underneath the hull.”

Ah yes, the humps, skegs or bustles are one of the most significant shared ­features on all four of the newly launched, second-generation AC75s. The terms refer to the narrow, protruding section that runs down the centerline underwater. In the first-generation boats, only the Kiwi and Italian boats had this feature, and it was most ­pronounced on the latter.

“It’s a trick not to get around this inertia rule but to deal with it,” Fischer explains. “What you do is design a hull wide enough to pass this inertia rule while it is at the design flotation. And then as soon as it gets a bit of speed, the foil starts pushing up, and so the boat comes up, and then this wide part of the hull gets out of the water and only the narrow part remains. This significantly reduces the drag, especially during the takeoff phase.”

The humps also help when the boat touches down. “And that’s another reason for these humps underneath, because they allow you to fly lower, to take more risk, because if you touch a wave, the wetted surface, or the area that touches the wave, is very small, and therefore it slows you down only very little.”

Benjamin Muyl is on his second Cup with Ben Ainslie’s British challenger, having been involved in the event since 2005. Now the architect, he sums up the factors driving the performance of the AC75: “As soon as we decided that these boats are only going to race in flying (foiling) conditions, then there’s no point in having any righting moment from the hull. The whole righting moment comes from the foil, so then the hull shape is all about takeoff capabilities, so effectively [acceleration and performance at] slowish speed, in the order of 16 to 20 knots—the touchdowns. So, the ability of the hull to develop little drag when touching the water at speed or out of tacks, or out of jibe. And the other part of it, which is actually very important for these boats, is the aerial performance of the hull.”

This is the reason all four boats have skegs; they provide a benefit in all three areas that Muyl and Fischer describe. They enable better acceleration at slower speeds, and reduce the hydrodynamic drag and deceleration on touchdowns. This allows the boat to fly closer to the water, which has another important aerodynamic contribution. “On every wing, you have a high-­pressure side and a low-pressure side,” Fischer explains. “And obviously, the air tries to flow from the high-pressure side to the low-­pressure side, and if you let it do that, you lose lift. On a normal sailboat, this circulation that makes you lose lift is at the bottom, underneath the boom, and this loss is quite significant. To avoid that, on all the [AC75] boats, we see deck sweeper sails.”

Muyl worked with both Fischer and ETNZ’s Guillaume Verdier on Franck Cammas’ Groupama 5 , the International C-Class Catamaran Championship winner. It should be no surprise, therefore, that their thinking is aligned here. “In recent years, we’ve seen sails and wings extend to seal to the deck. It pretty much started with the Groupama C-Class boat for Cammas. And then that was also seen on the AC72, and since then all the Cup boats have the mainsail sealing on the deck. On these boats (the AC75), for the first time we have a monohull that’s flying. So, what’s happening is that now there is a gap again, so we pushed to effectively seal the hull to the water.”

It’s impossible to completely seal the hull to the water without increasing the hydrodynamic drag, and even maintaining the minimum distance is made harder by waves. “So, even if you had perfect control of the boat, it would be impossible to close that gap completely. But [the teams] make big efforts to close that gap as much as ­possible,” Fischer says.

“We spotted [the performance effect of sealing the gap] early in the project,” Muyl adds, “and always questioned whether it was a true phenomenon, or whether it was an artifact of the computation. We finally made the call to go there to try to achieve it. It’s interesting to see that all the boats have gone there now. So, yes, we followed the same path. It was done with different means between the various teams, but we went for this very squared bustle to try to create a vortex off the sharp edge that would effectively seal [the gap].”

When we look at the four new boats, it’s clear there is significant agreement on what makes for a fast AC75. The skegs are the most obvious element, but an aerodynamic hull shape is a close second. The speed of the boats drives this one, with apparent winds that can easily exceed 40 mph.

“If you stick your hand out of a car when you’re driving at that speed, you feel how big this drag is,” Fischer says. “This drag component is comparable to the drag we see in the water. All the teams have paid enormous attention to this; they hide the crew as much as they can, and have the shape of the hull as aerodynamic as possible, to reduce drag as much as possible.”

If looked at sideways from the beam, all the second-generation hulls reveal an aero foil section from bow to stern—don’t be fooled by the high sides of the Kiwi’s crew pods. Fischer explains: “It is hidden because [ETNZ has] these relatively high cockpits on the side to cover the crew. But in between the cockpits, the shape is pretty much like an aero foil. The American boat also has a pretty nice aero foil shape, and as well, the British boat. I think the only main difference is that on our boat, it’s a bit more obvious, but the others have more or less the same idea.”

The third consistent element is the split cockpit. “The cockpits were pretty much the same everywhere at the beginning,” Fischer says. “All the teams have cockpits on each side, with the crew well-protected from the wind to reduce drag. Also, the Americans at the beginning had the cockpit very far aft. Now they are farther forward. So overall, I think we can see quite a bit of convergence, but there’s still a wide variety.”

The variety in the boats is driven by the details, and they will decide the winner. For instance, there are significant differences in the skegs, which shouldn’t be a surprise given there are three different motives for having the skeg in the first place. “The optimal shape for these purposes is different,” Fischer says. “If you focus on ­aerodynamics, then you want a pretty narrow hump, because if you touch down, the wetted surface is really small, and so you can fly lower. The penalty you pay, if you touch a wave, is less than with a wider hump. But with a narrow hump, you have difficulties in takeoff because the volume in such a narrow hump is very small, and you need a lot more lift from the foil to get the flat part—the wide part of the hull—out of the water.”

The choices the teams have made reflect the capabilities they have prioritized for the upcoming racing. “The Kiwis and the British have a wider hump underneath, which is pretty flat at the bottom,” Fischer says. “So, in my opinion, they try to generate positive lift when they touch, and probably also during takeoff. Of course, if you generate lift when you touch, that comes at a price —you also generate drag.”

Muyl agrees, adding: “[It’s] not forgiving if we touch because there’s quite a lot of wetted surface area to start with. So, effectively, we are relying quite a lot on the ability of the sailors to control the boat and to fly it just above the free surface.”

“American Magic has a very narrow hump,” Fisher says. “So, in my opinion, they’re focused more on aerodynamics and flying low than on takeoff.”

Or maybe they want the best of both worlds. Muyl points to a different takeoff technique. “Their strategy to takeoff is to accelerate as well as they can, but then, when they are at the speed to takeoff, somewhere between 16 and 19 [knots], they force the nose up with their rudder, and effectively increase the angle of attack on the foil and takeoff like that.”

American Magic’s designer, Marcelino Botin, wasn’t giving much away at this stage. Speaking at the launch of Patriot , he said: “We’ve got a philosophy of the boat that we need, and the boat we have produced is our interpretation of the best possible boat to take forward that way of thinking.”

And the Italians? “Our hump is more rounded, and I would say ours is somewhere in between what the Americans did, and what the British and Team New Zealand did,” Fischer says. “So that’s a choice. When you design the yacht, you have to make ­assumptions and define conditions for which you want to optimize your shape.”

The winning design will need both the most accurate set of assumptions about the competing priorities, and efficient optimization. Easy to say, but there is nothing straightforward about this process, as Muyl explains: “I find this boat really complex, in terms of how everything is so interlinked. If you look at just the foils, we have [in the fleet] some very large bulbs and some very small bulbs—the whole scope. So, that’s interesting that four teams of competent people with comparable tools, with comparable budget and time, effectively reached some very different solutions in the end. I personally found it very hard to have a feeling for what’s the direction to go to be faster. The whole thing is incredibly intertwined. I find it very complex. And that’s at every level of the design.”

Fischer agrees, adding: “This kind of hull was new for everybody, and basically, everybody had to start from scratch and find new ways. And I can say, I don’t know what the others did, but we went for a very mathematical approach to get there. We used, right from the beginning, a dynamic simulator.

“We used systematic, automatic optimization methods to get to the hull shape that we got in the end. And I think without this mathematical approach, it would have been very, very difficult. And I guess for the other teams, it’s the same. I think it is very difficult with these boats to get to a good result with pure intuition.”

Now that they can see where they fit into the fleet, how do they feel?

“Well, I think we don’t really know,” Muyl says. “We have a feel for New Zealand. I mean, they won the last one. They gave a sailing lesson to everyone. So, they are usually strong, but so much is about reliability that I find it really hard to have a sense that I can trust about where things are.”

Fischer was more guardedly optimistic about the Challenger’s chances. “I think as usual, [ETNZ] did a good job, but I don’t think they…well, I hope they won’t be superior, and I don’t think they will be superior. I think it will be pretty tight racing.”

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Everything you need to know about the 37th America’s Cup

Follow the build-up to the 37th America’s Cup as the teams prepare to fight it out for the oldest sporting trophy in the world.

Which teams are in the 37th America’s Cup?

In 2021 four teams raced in fully foiling AC75 monohulls which were conceived specifically for the event by then Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand and Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.

These same four teams return for the 2024 America’s Cup and will be joined by two additional teams, bringing the total number of entries up to 6.

Emirates Team New Zealand – America’s Cup Defender

As the current holder of the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand will be racing again in the 37th America’s Cup. As the Defender, the Kiwis will be guaranteed a spot in the America’s Cup regatta itself.

Any other challengers will need to race each other in preliminary regattas for the right to be the single challenger in the America’s Cup regatta itself.

Emirates Team New Zealand represent the Royal Auckland Yacht Club in America’s Cup racing.

tight racing between the British and the French. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

INEOS Britannia – America’s Cup Challenger of Record

The Challenger of Record is the name given to the first yacht club to challenge the holder of the America’s Cup once it has been won.

When Emirates Team New Zealand successfully completed their defence of the America’s Cup in 2021, the Royal Yacht Squadron immediately issued a challenge on behalf of Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Team UK (now called INEOS Britannia), so they are Challenger of Record for the 37th America’s Cup .

INEOS Britannia and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team has strengthened an exhausting relationship, with the British challenger standing to benefit from the technical and engineering experience of the multiple World Champion F1 team.

Photo: Job Vermeulen/America’s Cup

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has a very long America’s Cup history having first competed in 2000 and has taken part in every Cup since (with the exception of the unique 2010 Deed of Gift match).

For the 36th America’s Cup Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were the challenger of record. They also won the challenger selection series so it was this Italian team who took on Emirates Team New Zealand for the America’s Cup itself.

The team will return for the 37th America’s Cup though this time they are not the official challenger of record.

American Magic

In 2021 the New York Yacht Clubs’ American Magic was also competing, though their event was ultimately ruined by a capsize in the early part of the regatta . They did get the boat rebuilt but it never got back up to speed and they made an early exit.

The 2021 campaign marked the return of the New York Yacht Club to the America’s Cup. The NYYC held the America’s Cup from its inception in 1851 right the way through to 1983, when they were defeated by the Royal Perth Yacht Club’s Australia II .

American Magic have confirmed their entry into the 37th America’s Cup and will, once again, be representing the New York Yacht Club.

The Alinghi Red Bull Racing AC75 was first to launch and has one of the most radical hull shapes. Photo: Olaf Pignataro/Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Another team making a return to the America’s Cup scene after a long break will be Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi team. The Swiss team won the America’s Cup in 2003 and then completed a successful defence in 2007.

However, a serious falling out over the potential rules for the next America’s Cup saw Alinghi taken to court by Larry Ellison and his BMW Oracle team, the 2010 America’s Cup was held between Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing in a Deed of Gift match that saw the teams fight it out in huge multihulls.

BMW Oracle won the contest and Alinghi stepped away from America’s Cup racing. Their return is a welcome one and their Cup history alongside their partnership with Red Bull Racing should see them a solid challenge from the off.

Photo: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

Orient Express Racing Team

The French entry to the 2024 America’s Cup was long rumoured but it was not until quite late in the day that they officially announced their intention to challenge.

It was in early 2023 that the official announcement came of a French AC entry, backed by Accor Group and its brands Orient Express and ALL-ACCOR Live Limitless.

As a fairly late challenge they will have a lot to do to be competitive, but they struck a great – and controversial – deal with Team New Zealand to buy their boat design, so should at least have a quick hull underneath them.

What boats are in the 37th America’s Cup

The Protocol for the 37th America’s Cup has been released including the rules for the class of boat to be used in the next edition of the event. Once again the America’s Cup will be raced for in AC75s . These boats were first brought in ahead of the 36th America’s Cup so this will be their second outing.

The foiling monohulls are slightly different, with rules being tweaked partly aimed at improving light wind performance and reducing crew numbers from 11 to 8.

Teams are only be allowed to build one AC75 and nationality rules are strict this time around requiring 100% of the race crew for each competitor to either be a passport holder of the country of the team’s yacht club or to have been physically present in that country for 18 months of the previous three years prior to 17th March 2021.

Emirates Team New Zealand saw success in 2017 in Bermuda with their Cyclors . Having been banned in 2021, these have made a return for the 37th America’s Cup.

Barcelona, the venue for the 37th America’s Cup

Where will the 37th America’s Cup be held?

Barcelona, Spain was selected in 2022 as the venue for the 37th America’s Cup , marking the first time a New Zealand team has chosen to defend a Cup win overseas.

The home city of Emirates Team New Zealand and the venue for the 36th America’s Cup, Auckland, had an exclusive period in which to tender for the regatta immediately after the Kiwis’ successful defence in 2021, but the sums on offer were not enough, and Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton cast the net wider internationally after rejecting a NZ$99 million (£50 million) offer from the New Zealand government.

A number venues were mooted including: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Cork, Ireland; Malaga, Spain, but Barcelona eventually won out.

When is the 37th America’s Cup?

The America’s Cup will be held in 2024 in Barcelona. Racing in the 37th America’s Cup Match itself, which is a best of 13 (first to seven) format will start on Saturday 12th October 2024 and could run all the way to the 27th October should all the races be needed to pick a winner.

The America’s Cup will be proceeded by the challenger selection series, which will see which of the five challengers gets the honour to race New Zealand for the Cup itself.

Racing for the Challenger Selection Series – officially the Louis Vuitton Cup, will take place between the 29 August 2024 and 7 October 2024.

Match Racing

Though the America’s Cup was first raced for in 1851 ( and won by the schooner America from which the trophy gets its name), this race was between a fleet of boats. A challenge by the British in the 1870s was also conducted as a fleet race.

By the 1880s, following a protest from the British, the America’s Cup was decided in a head-to-head match race where two boats sail against each other.

Match racing is a particular skill and encourages aggressive manoeuvres using the rules to put your opponent at a disadvantage. This cut-and-thrust racing, where the only objective is to beat your opponent, has long been at the heart of America’s Cup racing and produces a thrilling spectacle.

You can catch all the latest America’s Cup news, analysis and videos right here on Yachtingworld.com

Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals: Selection made as INEOS pick Alinghi

• September 13, 2024

Following their win in the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin Series On Monday 9 September, INEOS Britannia have selected their opponents for the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final, starting tomorrow Saturday…

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• September 12, 2024

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Final day of Louis Vuitton Cup racing cancelled and moved to Monday

• September 8, 2024

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• September 7, 2024

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American weakness, shock Alinghi win and more: What we learned from Louis Vuitton Cup Day 6

• September 5, 2024

With racing abandoned after two races due to a lightning storm on Tuesday 3 September and cancelled altogether due to storm conditions on Wednesday 4 September, racing in the America’s…

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• September 4, 2024

Racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup’s second Round Robin was canceled again today, Wednesday 4 September in Barcelona due to severe weather conditions. Following yesterday’s dramatic abandonment, which included a…

Lightning near-miss forces Louis Vuitton Cup Day 5 racing to be abandoned

• September 3, 2024

With the first Round Robin of the America’s Cup Challenger Selection Series, the Louis Vuitton Cup concluded, teams moved onto the second Round Robin today, Tuesday 3 September. This second…

What we learned from a cracking day 4 of Louis Vuitton Cup racing

• September 1, 2024

The fourth day of racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup – the challenger selection series for the America’s Cup proper – took place today. Sunday 1 September in Barcelona, with…

Super Saturday? What we learnt from bumper race day on Louis Vuitton Cup Day 3

• August 31, 2024

After the upset to the schedule caused by Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand’s dramatic crash of its boat down onto the cradle during lift-out after racing on Day 1, and…

A drift-off and a ‘pointless’ race: Wind doesn’t play ball for the Louis Vuitton Cup Day 2

• August 30, 2024

The second day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robbin series – the America’s Cup challenger selection series – took place today Friday 30 August in Barcelona, but it was…

Emirates Team New Zealand withdraw from racing after boat damage

After yesterday’s opening day of racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup – the Challenger Selection series for the America’s Cup in Barcelona – Emirates Team New Zealand reported damage to…

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For a great pub quiz question, when was the first America’s Cup race? The answer to sailing fans is obvious: 1851 in the famous race around the Isle of Wight.…

Unexpected winners: what we learned from the Louis Vuitton Cup Day 1

• August 29, 2024

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Arnaud Psarofaghis: Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s 2024 America’s Cup Skipper

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New Zealand win thrilling America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Final + what we learned from the racing

• August 25, 2024

The fourth and final day of racing in the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 saw very tricky conditions for the foiling AC75 monohulls today, Sunday 25 August. It wasn’t…

One win, one loss for British on Day 3 of America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta

• August 24, 2024

The third day of racing for the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 got underway in 11 knots today in Barcelona providing solid foiling conditions for the AC75 monohulls that…

What we learned from the second day of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta

• August 23, 2024

The second day of racing in the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 got underway in 10 knots with flat water today in Barcelona providing near-perfect conditions for the foiling…

America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Day 1 report: Lessons for teams and organisers alike

• August 22, 2024

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12mR – GRETEL – 1962 America´s Cupper

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One outstanding classic yacht of America’s Cup fame is now available for restoration at Robbe & Berking Classics yard in Flensburg. The 12-m-R yacht GRETEL sailed as a challenger for the America’s Cup in 1962. It was the first ever Australian 12mR. GRETEL was designed by the yacht designer Alan Payne. Her hull was built of wood on steel frames.

The 12 metre designed by Alan Payne was full of new ideas. A groundbreaking innovation was the ability to connect the genoa winches to one another via a four-speed gearbox and to operate them with foot pedals. This increased the efficiency when turning immensely.

The first ever Australian 12 metre was launched on February 19, 1962, seven months before the America’s Cup races. Nine days later the yacht was christened GRETEL in memory of Frank Packer’s deceased wife. Already with the first test strokes against “Vim” it became clear that “Gretel” was very fast. At the end of May 1962, both ships were sent to the USA, where “Gretel” later fought a tough and worthy battle with the defender, “Weatherly”. The races were exciting and were only narrowly won. The Australians won one race. After the cup races of 1962, the fast “Gretel” served as a sparring partner for later teams; 1967 for the challenger “Dame Pattie” and later for “Gretel II”, Packer’s second challenge from 1970. “Gretel” last sailed in 1975 in the first “Southern Cross” team.

From 1973 to 1974 it belonged to “Yanchep Estates Pty. Ltd. ”with home ports in Perth and Yanchep. In 1975 the “Southern Cross America’s Cup Challenge Association, Ltd.” owned the yacht, from 1976 to 1979 it belonged again to the “Gretel Syndicate” and in 1980 it was removed from Lloyd’s Register. From 1982 to 1994 she worked as a charter yacht in the Whitsundays, later she was sold to Europe and sailed for many years in Italy. It was found here by the Robbe & Berking Classics shipyard and is now being transported to the shipyard in Flensburg for a basic restoration. “We want to restore the ship to its original condition from 1962,” said shipyard manager Oliver Berking. “This is a unique piece of yachting history and must be preserved!”

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Where are they now? 6 famous America's Cup yachts

1851 schooner america’s sad demise.

In 1851, the schooner America , sailing for the New York Yacht Club, beat the Royal Yacht Squadron and laid claim to its 100 Guinea Cup. Thus the America’s Cup was born – what is now the oldest trophy in international sport – earning its name from that first winning yacht rather than the country, though the US did go on to hold the trophy for 100 years.

Where is America's Cup yacht  America now?

The famous America's cup yacht America changed hands – and names – a few times after the first historic race, and then wound up in the American Civil War as a Union ship. She stayed in the military as a training ship for the Navy until 1873, when she was sold to a former Civil War General for $5,000 (about $98,000 today). The general raced, maintained and refitted the boat, but after his death in 1893, she was passed down to his son who lacked interest in the schooner and allowed her to fall into disrepair. Despite being eventually donated back to the Navy, lack of maintenance left her seriously decayed. The nail was driven into the coffin when a major snowstorm caused the shed she was stored in to collapse in 1945, and America was scrapped and burned, bringing the history of one of the most famous sailing yachts of all times to a close.

America ’s legacy lives on to do this day, and there are replicas of the schooner you can sail on to relive the glory of this historic vessel. Climb aboard the 32 metre America 2.0 replica (pictured in the inset above) in Key West (November-April) and New York (May-October), or on a 42 metre replica out in San Diego .

1930 Shamrock V is still sailing

J Class yachts are synonymous with the America’s Cup as these slim, graceful beauties once represented the fleet racing for the Cup. The 36.42 metre Shamrock V , commissioned by Sir Thomas Lipton for his fifth and final bid, she was the first J Class yacht to compete for the Cup. The fact that she is the only J Class yacht to be built in wood makes it all the more remarkable that Shamrock V is still floating today.

Where is America's Cup yacht  Shamrock V now?

The Camper & Nicholsons -built J is in pretty perfect condition for a lady of her years. J Class yacht  Shamrock V is currently for sale and looking for a good home. The right owner could sail away on this piece of Cup history just in time as the  J Class yachts make a triumphant return to the America's Cup .

1987 movie star Stars & Stripes still racing

While the film Wind , one of the best boat movies , was inspired by Dennis Conner’s experience competing for the America’s Cup in 1983 on board Liberty , the yacht that was actually used in filming was the 12 Metre type sailing yacht Stars & Stripes 87 . She was called Geronimo in the film, but Stars & Stripes 87 was more than a screen legend. When Conner launched his own campaign, he wanted a culmination of all the Stars & Stripes yachts that came before her, and she was designed to be fast in heavy air. Stars & Stripes 87 wound up being the final 12 metre yacht to win the America’s Cup.

Where is the America's Cup yacht  Stars & Stripes 87 now?

Stars & Stripes 87 can be found in the Caribbean now, able to be sailed with the St Maarten 12 Metre Challenge , giving you a chance to take the helm (if you're lucky) of a real Cup winner.

1988 Stars & Stripes multihulls

Paving the way for the high-performance multihull America's Cup yachts that are redefining the competition is  Stars & Stripes – the catamaran. The first America's Cup multihull yacht, the US team's Stars & Stripes came to be by a cunning interpretation of the Deed of Gift, which only stipulated the challenging yachts be single masted and no more than 90 feet LWL. The result was anything but a true match race, with the much faster, wing-masted multihull Stars & Stripes winning the Cup in 1988.

Where are the America's Cup multihull yachts Stars & Stripes now?

Two versions of the multihull Stars & Stripes were built, a soft sail (S1) and a wing-masted yacht (H3). Stars & Stripes (S1) was acquired by American entrepreneur Steve Fossett and used to set speed records around the world before being sold in 2017 to Key Lime Sailing Club and Cottages in Key Largo, where she is used for day charters and racing. The actual Cup player, Stars & Stripes (H3) was bought by Mark Reece in Naples, Florida and was used for sailing charter trips, but her current status is unconfirmed.

1994 Stars & Stripes once used as a training yacht by Oracle Team USA

America’s Cup yacht Stars & Stripes (sail number 34) is probably most famous for not winning a Cup. It wasn’t because she didn’t perform under pressure, but because she never got the chance. While the 24 metre yacht, designed by David Peddic and built in 1994 by Goetz Boat Works, won the right to defend the Cup, Dennis Conner chose Young America (US 36) over Stars & Stripes . The new choice was no match for Team New Zealand’s Black Magic , which beat out Team Dennis Conner four times in a row.

Where is America's Cup yachts Stars & Stripes (US 34) now?

Famed America’s Cup Stars & Stripes (US 34) is earning a chance to prove herself on the racecourse yet again. She sails out of Chicago, racing against Abracadabra (US 54). After failing to win the Cup in 2000, this iteration of Abracadabra was bought by Larry Ellison, who used her as a training boat for his Oracle Team USA.

2003 USA 76 still sailing in San Francisco Bay

Sailed by the US challenging team in preparations for the 2003 America’s Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, USA 76 never made it to the Cup, but she came quite close. Making it to the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup final, USA 76 faced the Swiss Team Alinghi but didn’t come out on top. So the US team arranged for a “rematch” against Alinghi, with two races set in San Francisco Bay. While it didn’t change the results of the Cup, this time USA 76 bested the Swiss competitors twice over.

Where is America’s Cup yacht USA 76 now?

Fittingly, USA 76 resides in San Francisco Bay and is available for sailing. Capture the spirit of the most recent America’s Cup that was raced in the natural amphitheatre of the Bay by climbing aboard USA 76 for a racing adventure under the Golden Gate Bridge.

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AC 75 INEOS TEAM UK desk model 2021 MN-A102

New Arrival ! Shop one of our latest desk model of the 36th  America's Cup, the gorgeous AC 75 INEOS TEAM UK desk model 2021 MN-A102 built at scale 1/100 or 9 inches LOA.  Comes in a protective display case.

AC 75 Te Rehutai Emirates Team New Zealand desk model...

NEW IN !!! Discover the desk model of the Kiwi AC 75 Te Rehutai Emirates Team New Zealand 2021, MN-A101. Shop this model of the 36th America's Cup winner. Built at scale 1/100 or 9 inches in length. Comes in a protective display case.

AC 75 PATRIOT desk model 2021 MN-A100

Support the AMERICAN MAGIC TEAM with this gorgeous desk model of the AC 75 PATRIOT desk model 2021. Built at scale 1/100 or 9 inches in length. Comes in a protective display case.

Artemis Racing - Catamaran AC 50 - desk model

We've just finished to build this desk model of another team of the 35th America's cup, the desk model of the Artemis Racing - AC 50 CATAMARAN - 2017. It comes with a display case. Scale 1/64 9.25" L x 5.25" W x 16" H  ( or 23.5 cm L X 13.4 cm W X 41 cm H )

Emirates Team New Zealand - Catamaran AC 50 - 2017 - desk...

The Emirates Team New Zealand - Catamaran AC 50 - 2017 - desk model, winner of the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda.

Land Rover BAR - Catamaran AC 50 - 2017 desk model

Introducing ... the  Land Rover BAR, AC 50 desk model and its display case.  Abordage is proud to introduce you the Land Rover BAR desk model, challenger of the 35th America's Cup - Bermuda 2017. Scale 1/64 9.25" L x 5.25" W x 16" H  ( or 23.5 cm L X 13.4 cm W X 41 cm H )

America's Cup: The Premier Yacht Racing Event .

This prestigious competition showcases the world's fastest and most technologically advanced yachts, with teams from around the globe competing for sailing supremacy. Experience the thrill of this iconic event, where the latest

ORACLE Team USA 17 AC 72 ,  ORACLE Team USA 17 AC 45 , ORACLE TeamUSA 17 AC...

ORACLE Team USA 17 AC 72 ,  ORACLE Team USA 17 AC 45 , ORACLE TeamUSA 17 AC 50 , AC 75 TE REHUTAI Emirates Team New Zealand , or even Shamrock V. 1930 , Endeavour I 1934 or America 1851 , Defender 1895 , we are proud to offers some of the finest America's Cup boat replicas of the world.

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America's Cup 2021

The 36th edition of the America's Cup - also known as AC36 - will take place at Auckland , Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf in New Zealand commencing on the 6th of March 2021 and concluding on the 21st of March 2021.

Five courses have been selected that span from the north Auckland suburb of Takapuna to Waiheke Island. According to Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton, the courses were chosen to cater for all wind and tide directions and conditions while ensuring that land-based spectators and the large spectator fleet that is expected have excellent views of proceedings.

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Circolo della Vela Sicilia, who are represented by the Emirates Team New Zealand and the Challenger of Record - Luna Rossa respectively, have collaborated on the building rules for the AC75 to ensure there is plenty of room for creativity and innovation while maintaining fair competition between vessels. The rules include:

• Strict limitations on the number of components that can be built including hulls, masts, rudders, foils, and sails, thus encouraging teams to do more R&D in simulation and subsequently less physical construction and testing

• Supplied foil arms and cant system to save design time and construction costs

• Supplied rigging

• One design mast tube

While the previous two editions used catamarans, the 36th edition of the America’s Cup will be contested in the AC75 mono-hulled foiling yacht, which has a hull length of 20.7m/67.9ft with a bowsprit of 2m/6.5ft, and a maximum beam of 5m/16.4ft. The total weight will not exceed 6.5T, while a crew of 11 has an expected weight range of 960-990kg.

The twin canting T-foils have a maximum span of 4m/13ft and a depth of 5m/16.4ft, while the centreline T-foil rudder has a maximum 3m/9.8ft span and a draft of up to 3.5m/11.5ft.

Attached to the 26.5m/86.9ft mast is a sail plan with a main sail of 135-145m2/1453-1560.7ft2, a jib of 90m2/968.7ft2 and a code zero of 200m2/2152.8ft2.

The World Series will take place in the second half of 2019 and in 2020, with a Christmas Regatta to end the year.

Timetable running up to the 36th America's Cup:

• Entries open - January 1 2018

• Entries close - June 30 2018

• America’s Cup World Series - 2019 - 2020

• America's Cup Christmas regatta - December 2020

• Prada Cup Regatta (Challenger Selection Series) - January - February 2021

• America’s Cup - 6th-21st March 2021

Save the Date

• 29th January to the 1st of February 2020: New Zealand Millennium Cup Superyacht Regatta in the Bay of Islands

• 31st December 2020: Royal New Zealand Rock Squadron – New Year’s Eve Race to Kawau Island

• January 2021 (exact dates to be confirmed): Prada Cup Challenger Series in the Hauraki Gulf

• 1st January 2021: Royal New Zealand Rock Squadron – 150th Anniversary & New Year’s Day Round Kawau Island Race

• 3rd to 6th of January 2021: Royal New Zealand Rock Squadron – Cruise to Great Barrier Island

• 12th to 14th February 2021: Superyacht Fishing Competition at the Bay of Islands Swordfish Club

• 15th to 18th February 2021: New Zealand Millennium Cup Superyacht and J Class Yacht Regatta in the Bay of Islands

• 24th to 26th February 2021: Royal New Zealand Rock Squadron – Superyacht Regatta

• 1st to 5th March 2021:

• 6th March 2021: J-Class Exhibition Sail J-Class Championships in the Hauraki Gulf

• 6th to 21st March 2021: 36th America’s Cup in the Hauraki Gulf

• 24th to 26th March 2021: The Superyacht Gathering

Four teams have been confirmed by the 1st of July 2019 deadline set by the defending Emirates Team New Zealand. They are:

• Emirates Team New Zealand

On 6 September 2019, Emirates Team New Zealand launched its mono-hull racing boat TE AIHE. Her aerodynamic design represented by an arrow-headed appearance, while two deep cockpits are desgined to increase efficiency while underway. TE AIHE was designed to strict rules of the competiton and her total weight doe not exceed 6.5T. This racing boat is expected to reach a speed of more than 50 knots. 

• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

• INEOS Team UK

• American Magic NYYC

Of note is a change in the rules requiring at least 10 of the 12 crew to have to be citizens of the country that they represent, while the other two must meet strict residency criteria.

In addition, defenders Emirates Team New Zealand will not be taking part in the challenger series unlike previous winners ORACLE Team USA and will enter the competition once the America's Cup commences.

Stars + Stripes Team USA have joined the competition as late challengers and are liable to pay a $1,000,000 USD late entry fee with is due in instalments before the 1st of October 2019.

Although Royal Netherlands Yacht Club, DutchSail, were one of the original contenders, they were unable to secure a naming rights sponsor and therefore could not commit by the set deadline, resulting in their withdrawal from the competition.

Royal Malta Yacht Club also intended to take part in the 36th America's Cup, however a $40,000,000 USD package promised by backers did not come to pass.

No fee for luxury yachts dropping anchor in waters around Auckland

Auckland Council in consultation with NZ Marine have dropped fees for luxury yachts over 40m/131ft in length that wish to drop anchor in the waters surrounding the city. Instead, there will be a new visitor-friendly 12-month navigation and safety fee for vessels that fit into this size category, allowing foreign visitors and New Zealand residents from other parts of the country to take their time exploring the clear waters, coves and sandy beaches surrounding the metropolis. Find out more...

Upgraded marina facilities in the run-up to the 36th America’s Cup

New Zealand has a wall-established marine industry with shipyards on both islands and extensive repair and refit facilities in Auckland, and these are being further developed along with additional berthing ahead of the influx of superyachts expected for the America’s Cup.

New infrastructure includes a marina in the Bay of Islands plus a superyacht village in Auckalnd for the event. There will also be travel lifts available at Vessel Works in the Bay of Plenty and at Orams Marine in Auckland.

DYT Yacht Transport is also providing extra services to take luxury yachts to New Zealand waters for 2020/21 and returning them to the Mediterranean in time for the summer luxury yacht charter season.

Local luxury yacht charter attractions

Auckland is New Zealand's largest city and as such has a massive array of galleries, museums, boutiques and shopping centres with international brands on offer. Nicknamed the 'City of Sails', one in three households owns a boat and the stunning surrounding islands and coast are well worth exploring on the water. 

The Bay of Islands - North of Auckland, the Bay of Islands reportedly has the second bluest skies anywhere in the world (after Rio de Janeiro) boasts some incredible beaches and ideal conditions for sailing and wind-powered water toys. The sport-fishing here is known internationally, with visitors coming to hook a kingfish or marlin. Dolphins and whales can also be spotted within the region, and the uninhabited islands make for a quiet sunbathing spot away from the pressures of the modern world.

The Bay of Plenty & Hauraki Gulf Marine Park - With 80 islands to explore by yacht, it's possible to spend an entire week exploring the northern tip of the North Island and still not see all of its wonders. Rangitoto Island is a dormant volcano and the closest island to Auckland. Trails lead to the summit where visitors have sweeping views of the surroundings, and the island is also home to the world's largest pohutukawa forest, a tree that blooms with red flowers over the southern hemisphere summer and is often called the 'New Zealand Christmas Tree'.

Great Barrier Island is covered in historic sites including a whaling station, shipwrecks, and gold and copper mines. Snorkelers, Scuba divers and fishing groups come to the region to explore the crystal clear waters, and hikers will be in their element with the pristine beaches and trails through the forest on offer.

Poor Knights Islands - This area has a reputation as one of the best locations for Scuba divers to visit, offering incredible biodiversity in crystal clear waters, with attractions including a nudibranch wall and caves to suit more experienced divers, whereas beginners also have a selection of impressive sites to practise skills and gain experience.

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BRIGGS CUNNINGHAM: American Racing Tradition TALE OF AN AMERICAN SPORTSMAN

The america's cup, the america’s cup – 1958, text by kane rogers.

View photographer Cory Silken’s “Yacht Columbia – America’s Cup Winner 1958” gallery here .

Click here to read “The America’s Cup: An Insider’s View,” by Bob Bavier.

Prior to 1958, the last defense of the America’s Cup had been in 1937, by the J-Class yacht Ranger , owned by Harold S. “Mike” Vanderbilt. The J-Class rules prescribing a vessel of some 120 feet in length were promoted by Vanderbilt and others for the defense planned for 1958, but economic concerns and the desire among aspiring competitors to employ smaller dual-purpose yachts won the day. The New York Yacht Club settled on the twelve-meter class rules, reducing the length of the average vessel to around sixty-five feet. Harry Sears, then the club’s commodore, formed a syndicate to build the ship and asked Briggs to join to help with finances.

Although building and racing his cars had long been Briggs’ primary field of endeavor, he had never stopped sailing, and he agreed to join the effort. Sailing legend Cornelius Shields was appointed as the team’s skipper but, when he suffered a heart attack, Sears asked Cunningham to take Shields’ place.

As a member of five East Coast yacht clubs, with almost thirty years’ experience racing several different classes of vessel, Briggs was a solid choice to lead. The one thing he lacked was experience with the starting strategy required by the head-to-head style of America’s Cup competition. Shields, a master of this type of racing, was happy to impart his knowledge to Cunningham, who proved an able student.

Unfortunately, as skipper it was Briggs who had to inform Shields that he could not remain a member of the crew; if he suffered an attack during competition and had to be taken to the hospital, it would leave them a man short and result in their disqualification. It was a tough moment for both men, but it was also characteristic of both to do what was best for the team.

The eliminations for the American side would prove to be more exciting than the final races. Four twelve-metre yachts, Easterner , Weatherly , Vim and Columbia , survived two months of run-offs to compete in the final eight-day round of match races to determine the defender of the America’s Cup. Of the four contenders, only the Vim had raced previously, but the nineteen-year-old vessel was so completely refitted as to be virtually brand new. The Easterner and Weatherly had been hurriedly completed and neither was fully prepared to compete, although the Weatherly would successfully defend the Cup in 1962.

Columbia benefited from a strong syndicate whose membership included Harry Sears, Olin Stephens, the designer of the Vim , and Cornelius Shields, Jr., who occasionally spelled Briggs as skipper. The competition finally narrowed to Vim and Columbia , which prevailed by virtue of her ability to better handle rough seas and strong winds.

The British challenger, Sceptre , entered by the Royal Yacht Squadron and skippered by Graham Mann, was a quite rotund 68,000 pounds compared to the svelte Columbia at 57,000 pounds, and the event was decided in four straight wins by the Americans.

During the post-race celebrations, Briggs located a pay phone and called Alfred Momo at Watkins Glen, where Ed Crawford had just won the main race. As Briggs was returning to join his crew, a reporter approached and commented, “Briggs, that was a fine race!” to which Briggs, still with the Glen on his mind, replied, “That’s what I just heard. I wish I could have seen it.”

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The newcomer features a robust hull by Ares Shipyard in Antalya, Turkey.

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The new 164-footer, christened Spitfire on account of her grunt, pairs a sleek, sporty, and somewhat utilitarian exterior with a luxurious, amenity-plenty interior. Bannenberg & Rowell executed the design, while fellow British outfit Lateral Naval Architects spearheaded the engineering.

Spitfire is lightweight in construction but punchy in terms of performance and range, according to Bannenberg & Rowell. The studio didn’t share any details regarding the propulsion system but says the “super-nimble” yacht can cruise “electrically and silently,” can hit 22 knots, and cover up to 3,500 nautical miles.

Spitfire is designed to run like a workhorse but offers all the requisite mod cons. Bannenberg & Rowell has stuck with the old naming conventions in a nod to the newcomer’s military roots. The layout includes buddy quarters (guest cabins) and a wardroom (salon) with an opening roof, as well as a scramble station (helm) and a fun store (gym). The owner doesn’t just get a lavish suite, but also a private, forward area with a Jacuzzi. Other highlights of the yacht include an outdoor cinema, a grill, and a beach club with fold-out terraces.

Spitfire is one of Bannenberg & Rowell’s smaller and more understated creations. The studio previously penned a 367-foot superyacht with two cinemas, two jacuzzis, a large wellness center, a 33-foot pool, a DJ station, and a jazz bar, for example. That may have resulted in a shorter production time. Bannenberg & Rowell says the vessel is due to be delivered in 2026.

Click here to see all the photos of Spitfire.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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American Magic helmsman Goodison broke 5 ribs and will miss start of America's Cup playoffs

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — American Magic co-helmsman Paul Goodison said in a social media post Friday that he broke five ribs when he fell into a an open hatch aboard Patriot after racing six days earlier in the America's Cup challenger trials.

The team, backed by the New York Yacht Club, has been largely mum about Goodison's injury, other than co-helmsman Tom Slingsby saying Friday that Goodison was hurt when he “had a fall on the boat.”

Goodison later posted on social media that he was hurt when he fell into an open hatch in the hull while helping prepare the boat for towing back to port after racing last Saturday.

“I was lifting the mainsail across the deck and fell through an open hatch into the hull,” Goodison wrote. “I struggled to breathe after the impact, but the extent of the injury wasn’t fully clear until further examination and imaging at the hospital. I’m now working closely with the medical team to assess my return to racing as soon as possible, while continuing to support the team’s path to the semifinals.”

Slingsby said Goodison won’t be ready to sail when American Magic faces Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals on Saturday, and did not have a timeline for when his co-skipper might be back in action.

“Unfortunately, he won't be with us tomorrow. We are still taking it day by day for when he will return,” Slingsby said at a news conference. “We all wish Goodie a quick recovery and we hope that we can still see him in this competition.”

Goodison was an Olympic gold medalist in 2008. This is his third America’s Cup overall and his second with American Magic.

In the meantime, substitute Lucas Calabrese will remain in Goodison’s place on port helm.

Slingsby said that Goodison was still under medical supervision, but that the team was hopeful he could be back. The team would not say whether Goodison was hospitalized.

“The doctors are with him each day and assessing him each day. He was weighed in for our team, so we are hopeful that he will be joining us again," Slingsby said. “It's a tough one where he really wants to be out there with us, but he is not able to at the moment. It's just going to be assessing how quickly he can feel ready to come back on join us.”

The first-to-five-wins series against Luna Rossa begins Saturday, with INEOS Britannia facing Alinghi Red Bull Racing in the other playoff. That will be followed by the Louis Vuitton Cup finals starting on Sept. 26, whose winner will then face defending champion New Zealand in the America’s Cup finals starting on Oct. 12.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

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It was like a funeral at the New York Yacht Club when Australia II won the America's Cup after 132 years

Topic: Sailing

Australia II and Liberty race in the finals of the 1983 America's Cup off Newport, Rhode Island. ( Larry Moran, Chicago )

A weepy, funeral-like procession in midtown Manhattan and an empty champagne bottle turned upside down: two striking images from the day the US lost the America's Cup for the first time after more than a century of dominance — exactly 38 years ago.

The New York Yacht Club in mourning might be the last place you'd expect a visiting Australian to try to gatecrash.

But that's where I found myself on that fateful night: borrowing an oversized blue blazer, jumping in a yellow cab to West 44th Street and talking my way into the members' only enclave.

And all because an elitist yachting competition had somehow captivated our entire nation.

It was on September 26, 1983, that Australia II completed an improbable comeback over US boat, Liberty, winning race seven at Newport, Rhode Island, for a 4-3 victory overall, having trailed 3-1.

Back in Australia, a nation celebrated, led by a champagne-soaked prime minister in Perth.

After a night of watching the drama on television, Bob Hawke effectively declared the following day — a Tuesday — a national public holiday, saying: "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum."

Three hundred kilometres south of the racing off Rhode Island, the New York Yacht Club was in a state of shock, unprepared for the end of a winning streak — the longest in sports — dating back to 1851.

There, more than anywhere else, at the club's home since 1901, the impact of Australia II's triumph was being felt. As uplifting as the result was for underdog Aussies 16,000 kilometres away, it was, in equal measure, devastating for those supporting the losing favourite.

This moment in history coincided with my first trip — a backpacker-style vacation — to the United States. I'd started the marathon journey from Sydney with Australia II headed for a noble defeat but arrived in New York City with John Bertrand's crew pulling off the near impossible.

The America's Cup was the last thing on my mind when air tickets were booked several months earlier.

In holiday mode, joining some fellow Australian journalists in a Manhattan bar, someone remarked what a great story it would be to sneak into the New York Yacht Club to see how the members were handling the shock of losing the cup.

The New York Yacht Club won the first America's Cup in 1851. ( Facebook: New York Yacht Club )

Along with the world's most dangerous and politically unstable hotspots of the time, the New York Yacht Club on that particular September evening might have been a place where all Australians would have been advised against travelling.

Two days before the races started, the club had unsuccessfully tried through the courts to ban Australia II's controversial winged keel, effectively accusing the Royal Perth Yacht Club syndicate of cheating.

Cup transported by armoured vehicle

Precisely when I arrived at the club, its main doors opened and about a dozen members filed out towards a parked van. Half of them were carrying a large wooden box that looked like a coffin. It didn't take long to work out the America's Cup was inside.

The van was a Brinks armoured vehicle, ready to drive sailing's most famous silverware up Interstate 95 to Newport for the official handover — to the enemy.

Ben Lexcen's winged-keel design caused an uproar in the New York Yacht Club. ( ABC News )

Funerals are often slow and measured affairs but this process was rapid and urgent. While the emotions flowed as they might alongside any cortege, there was also an air of chaos and confusion as a trophy representing 132 years of achievement was ingloriously yanked from the gentrified Beux-Arts landmark in less than 60 seconds.

Jason Dasey lands in New York City in September 1983. ( Facebook: Jason Dasey )

Once the vehicle was out of sight, a few of the members lingered on the footpath, trying to make sense of what they had just witnessed, including a middle-aged man with red eyes.

Fortunately, the man did not throw punches in a fit of New York rage when approached by a journalist from Sydney interested in hearing his views. Instead, there was an invitation to join him and his wife for a complimentary dinner at the club.

So, the New York Yacht Club visitors' book for the evening of September 26, 1983, registered one Australian guest.

'Therapy session' over steak dinner

In the heart of a city with the world's highest concentration of psychiatrists, the meal with a gracious American host had the unfettered air of a therapy session. And, with the Cold War still in full swing, it was also a kind of entente cordiale: two potential adversaries breaking bread in the name of a higher cause.

That same day, Soviet military officer Stanislav Petrov averted a possible nuclear war by correctly identifying a US missile attack warning in Moscow as a false alarm. On American soil, Zimbabwe Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, who had risen to power three years earlier, was on a tense state visit to Washington DC.

The New York Yacht Club successfully defended the America's Cup 24 times in a row before its 1983 defeat. ( Facebook: California Academy of Sciences )

During our dinner, the man opened up in a way one wouldn't have imagined, speaking about his personal pain and sense of loss in saying goodbye to the Auld Mug. For him, the America's Cup — the trophy — was like a close friend whose reassuring presence provided almost daily comfort within the exclusive confines of the club.

The man also shared an insider's account of how the decisive seventh race of the series played out for him and the other members.

Club with no TV and 'ship-at-sea echo'

In contrast to Manhattan's rowdy sports bars, the New York Yacht Club had (in its own words) a "ship-at-sea echo". Then, like now, it was a cosy and refined refuge where members could peacefully enjoy a drink, meal and thoughtful conversation without distraction.

So, with no television or radio on the premises, the only way to get updates on the racing was from an open telephone line to Newport.

Because retaining the America's Cup was almost a formality, members hadn't felt the need to closely follow each day's racing. Most of the previous series were lopsided, with the defender rarely troubled. The US had lost only three of 39 races dating back to 1937, and had dropped just nine races since the America's Cup began in 1851.

But, with the 1983 series tied at 3-3 going into race seven, one member, with a no-dial rotary telephone in hand, was given the job of relaying information from Newport to an increasingly concerned gathering within the club.

Dennis Conner (right) with Alan Bond in 2005, suffered an unexpected defeat as skipper of Liberty. ( AFP: Greg Wood )

Under respected skipper Dennis Conner, Liberty started well and seemed on course for victory. But after surrendering the lead on the penultimate leg, the American yacht was unable to get it back, despite Conner tacking 47 times before the finish.

Australia II, expertly piloted by Olympic medallist Bertrand, crossed the line 41 seconds ahead to clinch the series, meaning the challenger had defied sudden death by taking the last three races to win.

After we had a magnificent steak dinner in the dining room, the man introduced me to other members, with an invitation to look around the club that had operated on that site since 1901. Walking through the various sections, the detail and quality of the many replica boats and ships on display in its trophy room was impressive.

Skipper John Bertrand was hailed as a hero on his return to Australia in 1983. ( National Archives of Australia: A6135, K31/10/83/2 )

Champagne bottle replaces missing cup

What stood out was the sizeable display case that had protected the America's Cup until a few hours earlier.

Instead of showing off precious silverware, the structure now housed an empty champagne bottle, its spout pointing to the floor, symbolic of an institution whose world had been turned upside down.

After the man and his wife had gone home, I wrote my story by hand on New York Yacht Club letterhead in a quiet corner of the club. Then, in those early days of computers long before email, the article was dictated on a reverse-charges telephone call to a typist back at the Sydney Morning Herald for the next day's edition.

Just after midnight, this Australian visitor was the second-last person to leave the club, let out the front door by the night security guard.

John Bertrand and Alan Bond joined former prime minister Bob Hawke in Sydney on the 30th anniversary of the America's Cup victory in 2013. ( AAP: Dean Lewins )

For someone who didn't live through Australia's unexpected success off the Rhode Island coast, it is difficult to explain four decades later the significance of winning — let's face it — a relatively obscure sporting event.

But Bertrand's unexpected success, powered by Ben Lexcen's winged keel and Alan Bond's cash, seemed to energise a nation down on its competitive luck.

Australia had won just nine medals at the ill-fated and partly boycotted 1980 Moscow Olympics and only five — with no gold — at the Montreal Games four years before that. Compare that to 46 medals, with 17 golds at the recent Tokyo Olympics.

Boxing Kangaroo flag galvanises a nation

The boxing Kangaroo flag that fluttered in the Rhode Island breeze off Australia II's forestay became a symbol of its triumph. And it would epitomise our fighting spirit in decades of other sporting battles to come. Rather than the nagging feeling that we might not be good enough, sticking it to the Yanks in their own — ahem — waterways when all seemed lost, proved that anything was possible.

The triumph came just seven months into Bob Hawke's first term as prime minister and remains one of his most endearing moments, setting the tone for his tenure. Wearing a gaudy Australian-branded sports coat, his euphoria bubbled over in the early hours amongst a packed crowd at the Royal Perth Yacht Club. Indeed, as a proud West Australian, this moment was even sweeter.

Years later, the America's Cup would be voted by the readers of my old newspaper as the greatest day in Australian sports history, more significant than winning world cups in rugby and cricket and staging the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

The boxing kangaroo at the Australian team's base at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. ( Mark Raltson: AFP )

It remains the only time Australia has actually won the America's Cup. In a disastrous defence at Fremantle four years later, Kookaburra III was trounced 4-0 by Stars and Stripes 87, skippered by 1983 loser, Dennis Conner. Conner's tale of redemption is featured in a 1992 film, Wind.

New Zealand is the current holder of the America's Cup, having successfully defended the trophy in March — winning it for the fourth time — after  Emirates Team New Zealand defeated Italy's Luna Rossa by seven races to three off the coast of Auckland.

After leaving the New York Yacht Club on that autumn night in 1983,  I took a reflective stroll back to my accommodation a few blocks away near Times Square.

I rounded a corner, past the open doors of a late-night bar whose house band was cranking out a raucous version of Who Can It Be Now? by Men At Work. The Melbourne group's other big hit, Down Under, was the unofficial anthem of Australia II's challenge, but I'd never heard US musicians covering Australian artists before.

In those pre-Crocodile Dundee days, the full brunt of Australia's cultural awakening and transformation — and the resulting international invasion — was still a few years away.

But for a split second on that last Tuesday in September 1983, I caught a glimpse of the future.

HISTORIC AMERICA’S CUP 12-METRES LIGHT UP THE PUIG VELA CLÀSSICA

For fans of the America’s Cup and the competition’s rich history, this week in Barcelona has been a feast for the eyes. The Puig Vela Clàssica regatta, run by the outstanding Real Club Náutico Barcelona, has brought some of the world’s finest classic yachts together alongside a magnificent fleet of 12 Metre Class yachts that competed in the America’s Cup from 1958 through to 1987.

For many, the 12 Metre Class era was iconic, especially with the Cup changing hands after 132 years of total dominance by the New York Yacht Club when Australia II defeated Liberty in 1983. The class survived one more America’s Cup, down in the big winds and waves of Fremantle, Perth in 1987, and that regatta remains ingrained in many Cup watchers' memories as a stand-out spectacle.

Several of the boats from that 1987 regatta competed in Barcelona, including the revered Kookaburra II, French Kiss, Crusader, South Australia and Kiwi Magic who duked it out for the honours in Division A of the Puig Vela Clàssica. Furthermore, in Division D, there were some super-classic 12 Metres, with the likes of Northern Light, Vim and Jenetta enjoying incredibly close racing and rolling back the years to a bygone era.

An interesting aside in the modern 12 Metres is the number of original crew that came back to compete here in Barcelona, still racing at the highest level. Onboard French Kiss, the Phillipe Briand-designed French Challenger that underwent radical stern-surgery during the 1987 regatta but has thankfully been restored to its original flowing lines, the legendary Olympic silver medallist skipper Marc Pajot was on the wheel for the regatta.

Speaking about what it means to be back, Pajot commented: “It’s a very nice memory for me. I was an Olympic sailor, switched to ocean sailing competing around the world, and finally ended up in the America’s Cup with French Kiss in Fremantle in 1987. Five of those crew members are now competing in Barcelona – 37 years later! It’s an excellent regatta with a very large fleet, and this year, a unique opportunity to enjoy the America’s Cup in Barcelona.”

For Torben Grael, one of the world’s top sailors and a tactician for the Italian Luna Rossa campaigns in the 2000, 2003 and 2007 America’s Cups, the chance to sail Kookaburra II, the current 12 Metre World Champion owned by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team Principal Patrizio Bertelli, is all consuming:

“In the recent World Championship (Porquerolles, France), we debuted a reconfiguration of the boat because when it was purchased, it still had the setup from Fremantle 1987. Our program is Mediterranean and sometimes in Newport, where the wind is much lighter. We have changed the keel and other things, and we are getting to know the boat. The 12 Metres are beautiful boats, requiring a good and trained crew for manoeuvres. The races are very close and beautiful.”

As the regatta concluded, it was the beautiful ‘Kookaburra II’ that secured the win scoring just seven points, to close out the series ahead of Johan Blanch’s ‘Kiwi Magic’, whilst Marc Pajot’s ‘French Kiss’ completed the podium in third overall.

In the vintage 12 Metre fleet - grouped in Division D - Hans Eliasson’s ‘Northern Light’ won the final race and secured the title with just six points, whilst James Patrick’s Vim confirm their second place, with Thomas Muller’s ‘Jenetta’ completing the podium. 

The Real Club Náutico Barcelona brought down the curtain on the XVII Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona Regatta, the XVII (27 th ) running of this international event that is part of the official RFEV calendar and counts towards the II International CIM Championship (International Mediterranean Committee), as well as the XIII Mare Nostrum Trophy – Spanish Cup of Classic Boats.

The awards ceremony was held in the presence of Marc Puig, Executive Chairman of Puig, Jordi Puig, President of the Real Club Náutico de Barcelona, Josep Mª Isern, President of the Catalan Sailing Federation, Xavier Torres, Vice President of the Spanish Sailing Federation, Javier Moreno, Naval Commander of Barcelona, Leonardo García de Vicentis, President of AEBEC, Andrés de León, Vice President of CIM, and Pablo Garriga, Commodore of RCNB.

A glittering end to a fabulous regatta with the perfect venue and hosts for an extraordinary festival of sailing.

For more information: www.puigvelaclassica.com

(Magnus Wheatley)