Ir was 1983 when rhe unrhinkable overcome in des ign and so me excmng bad because a good caramaran was sure ro happened. Australia II bear Liberty in rhe sailing, on the whole, this year was a dis- bear a monohull every rime. sudden-dearh sevenrh race of rhar march . grace ro rhe noble rradirion of rhe Cup. Australia II was rhe besr 12-Merre yachr ro The march was between a large sloop and a The International America's Cup Class sail in rhe 25-year hisrory of competition sophisricared large caramaran . The Ameri- W irh rhar unfo rrunate experience behind ar Newport, Rhode Island. H er extraordi- cans developed the larter over an amazingly rhem, America's C up organizers creared a nary and co ntroversial winged keel was, of short time period. The perperraro r of the ro tally new rule afrer 1988. Th is new rule course, her mosr conspicuous fearure. The mismarch was M ichael Fay of New Zea- has produced fo ur fine marches in 1992, ballyhoo abour her keel masked the sig- land. While openly discussing a conven- 1995, 2000 and 2003. Boats of the IACC nificanr fac rs rhar Australia II was rhe firsr rional 12-Merre challenge, Fay had secredy class are larger rhan 12-Metre yachrs with boar ro go ro minimum 12-Merre lengrh commissioned rhe des ign and srarted con- much fi ner and lighrer hulls of co mposire and displacemenr and rhar she had signifi- struction of a large sloop. Afrer he had an constructi on. Their ballas t ro displacemenr rario is remarkably high candy less we rred surface COURTESY BMW ORACLE wirh a deep lead bulb of rhan any ocher Twelve. Team Alinghi wrestThis laner facror won rhe abour 44,000 pounds suped the Cup from its ported by a slim sreel fin . C up! Less we rred surface New Zealand defendNew classes requi re sevfollowed narurally from ers in 2003 and, far eral cycles fo r an oprimum a smaller boar bur also the first time, brought the from a keel of radically boar rype ro emerge. In rhe Cup to Europe. It wiff be small planform. Where case of the IACC, rhe profought far once again in June cess moved rapidly, princirhat had failed rhirreen 2007 at Valencia, Spain. pal ly because of rh e brillianr years earlier in Valiant In this photo from 2003, wirh a convenrional keel, and aggressive R&D prothe American team, gram devised by American ir succeeded in spades on BMW Oracle USA Bill Koch for his America3 A ustralia II because rhe 76 (right), races syndi care. America3 wo n the winged keel provided team Alinghi 1992 America's Cup march sufficienr hydrodynamic SUI 64. in decisive sryle againsr Italy. lifr (side force) wirhour New Zealand's Black Magic rhe conve ntional large syndicare superbly execured area. Because Twelves rhe next two marches . Borh have drafr limired by a ar San Diego in 1995 and funcrion of lengrh, rhey rhen ar Auckland in 2000, crave more drafr or rhe equivalenr effecr. The lifr-enhancing ac- insurmounrable rime lead on rhe defender, rhe New Zealanders showed admirable rion of rh e "end plare" wings provided Fay issued a challenge specifying his rype fin esse in co ncept, organizarion, derails, of boar and a rime period roo shorr fo r the and sailing skill. thar very effecrively. Mosr recently, rh e Swiss rearn Alinghi America's Cup racing at Newport defender ro reaso nably develop a boar of wresred rhe Cup from rhe Kiwis in 2003, ended in 1983 wirh Australia !J's vicrory. the same rype. Lawyers fo r rhe compering yachr bringing ir back ro Euro pe fo r rhe 32nd D ennis Co nner rook charge again and in 1987 won back rhe C up, sailing in the clubs ensnared rhe comperirion in a mis- comperirion in rhis long series . Perhaps, warers of wes rern Ausrralia aboard Stars erable, expensive dispure. In fairness, wirh rhis sweeping overview of where rhe & Stripes. She was a one-wearher boar, big rhe American response was nor wholly comperirion cam e fro m and how ir has and powerful fo r rhe consisrenr "Docror" admirable eirh er. America wo n rhro ugh evolved , yo u roo will be inspired ro be rhe (srrong winds) of Freeman de. Orhers did rechnology and rhe clever develop- America's C up newesr fan. Expecr some nor have rhe srrengrh of their convicrions menr of a new caramaran, also named exciring racing ar Valencia in June 2007 and in furure years as rhe Am erica's C up Stars & Stripes. ro go wirh such a big and powerful boar. The challenger, New Zealand, was rradirion conrinues. The Mismatch - 1988 rh e largesr racing sloop builr since rhe In 1988, for rhe firsr rime in hisrory, rhe ] -boars and a peculi ar boar. We have no Halsey H erreshojf is a naval architect and challenger and defender clubs could nor sure way ro judge her prowess, as she was an experienced sailor having served as naviagree on a murually sarisfacrory boar size, rhe only such boar on rhe warer. Lighr gator in 5 America's Cup competitions. H e rype, and raring rule. Thus, ir was neces- of weighr wirh an exrreme keel and wide is the grandson of Nathanael Greene H ersary ro sail under an, as yer, un rried provi- "wings" fo r crew hiking, she was, ar leasr, reshojfand President of the H erreshojfMasion of rhe Deed of G ifr fram ed fo r jusr inreresring. O f course, ir made no differ- rine Museum and the America's Cup Haff such a conrin gency. D espire rhe challenges ence wherher New Zealand was good or ofFame in Bristol, RI. SEA HISTORY 116, AUTUMN 2006
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