| 25th America's Cup |
|
|---|---|
| Date | 14–26 September 1983 |
| Defender | New York Yacht Club |
| Challenger | Royal Perth Yacht Club |
| Winner | Royal Perth Yacht Club |
| Location | Newport, Rhode Island, United States |
The 1983 America's Cup was the occasion of the first winning challenge to the New York Yacht Club who had successfully defended the cup over a period of 132 years. An Australian syndicate representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club won the match races to win the America's Cup which ended the longest winning streak in sporting history.
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Skippered by team principal Dennis Conner, Liberty won all the Defender trials and on September 2, 1983 the New York Yacht Club confirmed that Liberty was to represent the NYYC as defender of the America's Cup.[1]
Alan Bond arrived at Newport with Australia II, billed as one of the biggest threats to American dominance of the 12 Metre class. The boat was designed by Ben Lexcen and skippered by John Bertrand. The revolutionary "winged" keel of the Australian yacht was a subject of controversy from the outset of the challenger series, with the New York Yacht club alleging that the winged keel boat was not a legal 12 Meter, and that the keel design itself was the result of Dutch engineers, and not by Lexcen. This second point would make Australia II illegal under the requirement that the boat be "designed and constructed in country" as the Deed of Gift that governed the competition stipulated.[2] The boat was ruled a legal 12 Meter, and she was allowed to participate in the regatta. The speed of the new contender, along with the controversy and protests intensified international media attention to the series.
Australia II dominated the challenger series and entered the America's Cup finals as the most promising contender to date. She suffered equipment failure in the first two races against the American defender Liberty, then split the next two before coming back from 3-1 down to win the final three races and the America’s Cup. In winning the seventh and deciding race on 26 September 1983, Australia II became the first successful challenger in 132 years.
This was the first time the America's Cup had needed a sixth race, let alone a seventh.[3]
| Date | Winner | Yacht | Loser | Yacht | Score | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 14, 1983 | Liberty | US-40 | Australia II | KA-6 | 1-0 | 1:10 |
| September 15, 1983 | Liberty | US-40 | Australia II | KA-6 | 2-0 | 1:33 |
| September 18, 1983 | Australia II | KA-6 | Liberty | US-40 | 1-2 | 3:14 |
| September 20, 1983 | Liberty | US-40 | Australia | KA-6 | 3-1 | 0:43 |
| September 21, 1983 | Australia II | KA-6 | Liberty | US-40 | 2-3 | 1:47 |
| September 22, 1983 | Australia II | KA-6 | Liberty | US-40 | 3-3 | 3:25 |
| September 26, 1983 | Australia II | KA-6 | Liberty | US-40 | 4-3 | 0:41 |
The final race was televised in Australia in the early hours just before dawn, and the victory was celebrated in public venues across Australia. Prime Minister Bob Hawke was interviewed at the dawn celebration in Claremont, Western Australia, and said, "Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum".
The America's Cup was transferred from the New York Yacht Club to the Royal Perth Yacht Club located in Perth Western Australia who subsequently hosted their first, but unsuccessful, defense in the 1987 America's Cup.
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