1987 Defender Selection Series

Last updated

1987 Defender Selection Series
Fremantle, Western Australia
Date18 October 1986 – 20 January 1987
Number of Yachts8
Coordinates 31°57′9.0″S115°38′48.12″E / 31.952500°S 115.6467000°E / -31.952500; 115.6467000
Winner Kookaburra III

The 1987 Defender Selection Series was raced between four syndicates competing for the right to represent the Royal Perth Yacht Club as the defender of the America's Cup. Kookaburra III won the series and advanced to the 1987 America's Cup. However, they failed to defend the cup from the challenge of Stars & Stripes 87 .

Contents

The Syndicates

America's Cup Defence Ltd (Australia II, III and IV)

The highest profile syndicate was the professional and well funded Alan Bond group which had won the 1983 Cup and which had a wealth of experience, having been to Newport as challengers in 1974, 1977, 1980 and 1983. The team won the 1986 World 12-metre championships in convincing style with Australia III. Close Bond associate Warren Jones was the syndicate director and veteran 12-metre helmsman John Longley managed the day-to-day business. Four helmsmen were used in rotation: Colin Beashel, Hugh Treharne, Gordon Lucas and Carl Ryves, with Beashel taking the skipper role in the finals. Beashel and Treharne had extensive previous 12-metre experience. [1] [2] Grant Simmer was the navigator. [3] The crew included Dean Phipps. [4]

Some commentary has stated that John Bertrand had fallen out of favour with the Bond syndicate because of the publication of his book Born to Win. This cannot be the case as his book clearly states Bertrand's decision to transition from sailing to a business career in the book obviously before it was published. Bertrand was a media commentator for Alan Bond's network during the televised races.

Two sister boats to Australia II were built, Australia III (KA-9) which was launched on 27 September 1985 and much later Australia IV (KA-16). [5] Australia III's launch was a stage managed event with a lavish ceremony at Royal Perth Yacht Club which included Bond's wife Eileen naming the boat. It was built at Cottesloe by boatbuilder Stephen Ward and designed by Ben Lexcen, the same team which had produced Australia II. The launch culminated in a sedate sail in the Swan River watched by thousands of spectators on the river foreshore. [1]

South Australia Challenge (South Australia)

The South Australian government provided a $1M subsidy to a syndicate of businessmen led by Adelaide advertising executive Roger Lloyd who contracted Lexcen to design a boat called South Australia (KA-8). [5] The group included support from 150 companies. [1] For $600,000 the group received a new boat which was also built at Ward's boatyard with a similar design to Australia II. As well as design and construction, the syndicate had also contracted with the Australia II team to provide basic crew training. As soon as South Australia was launched, trials between it and Australia II were held and the results considered before the design of Australia III was finalised. [1]

National small boat champion Fred Neill initially skippered South Australia with 12-Metre veteran Sir James Hardy. Hardy later stood down as skipper but stayed on with the syndicate. [1] New South Welshman Philip Thompson was appointed helmsman and, following poor early showings, became the replacement skipper with John Savage in the afterguard. [3] Irish offshore yachtsman Joe English (sailor) joined as main sheet trimmer. South Australia was too small for the strong wind conditions and was eliminated after series B.

Taskforce '87 (Kookaburra I, II and III)

The third syndicate was a well funded group known as Taskforce '87 and headed by Perth businessman Kevin Parry. Taskforce '87 built three boats, Kookaburra (KA-11), Kookaburra II (KA-12) skippered by Peter Gilmour and Kookaburra III (KA-15) skippered by Iain Murray. [6] [5] The afterguard of the Kookaburra boats were combined for the Cup finals, with Gilmour acting as skipper in the pre-race through the start, while Murray would take the helm for the race itself. Gilmour would then move over to mainsheet trimmer. [7] The Kookaburra boats were designed by John Swarbrick and Iain Murray.

Eastern Australian Defence Syndicate (Australia I and Steak 'n Kidney)

The eastern states team headed by Syd Fischer purchased Australia I (KA 5) as a trial boat while a new boat designed by Peter Cole was built. Steak 'n Kidney (KA-14, named after steak and kidney pie, popular in Australia and to the rhyming slang for the City of Sydney) was launched relatively late in the campaign at a ceremony at the Sydney Opera House in April 1986. [1] [5]

The design was selected by Cole after testing 22 hull shapes and 11 winged keel variations at the Netherlands Ship Model Basin during 1985. [8] The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron was the syndicate's sponsoring club, and Gary Sheard, an Olympian in Solings was the initial skipper, Fred Neil took over as skipper in the early rounds of the eliminations. Following the elimination of South Australia, after series B, Philip Thompson was appointed the new skipper. Steven Kemp was the tactician and Robin Doussen the navigator, Joe English was later recruited during the semi-finals after South Australia was knocked out in series 3 . [3] A new, very powerful keel now made Steak'n Kidney a very fast and she began winning races. The extra power was overloading existing rigging and sails, races were lost due to breakdowns, not speed. Needed points to qualify as defender were also lost. Her last Defender series race, against the eventual Defender Kookaburra III, she won by 1 minute 36 seconds. She went onto the 12 meter world championships in Sardina, Italy, later that year and won a head to head match race against Dennis Connor with Stars and Stripes, the winner of the 1987 Americas Cup.

The Series

The defender series races were sailed on the America's Cup course with the top four boats of Series A, B and C going to the Series D semi-finals. The top two boats entered the finals and the winner entered the America's Cup series as the defender. [9] The buoy is a permanent navigation marker used for shipping in and out of Fremantle harbour and is located 8 nautical miles (15 km) west-north-west of the harbour in Gage Roads [10] Every boat raced each other twice in the first 3 series.

Series A:18 to 30 October
Series B:9 to 21 November
Series C:2 to 20 December
Series D:27 December to 28 January
Finals:14 to 27 January

The six competing boats from four syndicates were Kookaburra II (KA-12), Kookaburra III (KA-15), Australia III (KA-9), Australia IV (KA-16), Steak'n'Kidney (KA-14) and South Australia (KA-8). [5]

The defender semi-finals were held from 27 December to 9 January between Kookaburra II, Kookaburra III, Australia IV and Steak'n'Kidney after which Kookaburra II and Steak'n'Kidney were eliminated. [11] The final of the defender selection series was held from 14 to 20 January January. Kookaburra III was selected as the official defender.

ChallengerRacesWonLossPoints [12]
Kookaburra III118353
Australia IV119247
Kookaburra II115634
Steak n' Kidney114612

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">America's Cup</span> Sailing race trophy

The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy and the other from the yacht club that is challenging for the cup. Matches are held several years apart on dates agreed between the defender and the challenger. There is no fixed schedule, but the races have generally been held every three to four years. The most recent America's Cup match took place in March 2021.

<i>Australia II</i> Australian racing yacht

Australia II is an Australian 12-metre-class America's Cup challenge racing yacht that was launched in 1982 and won the 1983 America's Cup for the Royal Perth Yacht Club. Skippered by John Bertrand, she was the first successful Cup challenger, ending a 132-year tenure by the New York Yacht Club.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stars & Stripes (America's Cup syndicate)</span>

Stars & Stripes is the name of an America's Cup syndicate operated by Dennis Conner and its racing yachts. The name "Stars & Stripes" refers to the nickname often used for the flag of the United States. TDC was registered under the flag of the San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC).

Benjamin Lexcen AM was an Australian yachtsman and marine architect. He is famous for the winged keel design applied to Australia II which, in 1983, became the first non-American yacht to win the prestigious America's Cup in 132 years.

<i>Wind</i> (1992 film) 1992 American film by Carroll Ballard

Wind is a 1992 film directed by Carroll Ballard and starring Matthew Modine, Jennifer Grey and Cliff Robertson.

New Zealand "Kiwi Magic" was the America's Cup challenge boat sailed by Chris Dickson in the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger series held in Gage Roads off Fremantle, Australia during the summer months of 1986 through 1987. She was New Zealand's first America's Cup entry and was the premier boat in the New Zealand Challenge syndicate.

The 1983 America's Cup was a 12-metre class yacht racing series which pitted the defending New York Yacht Club's Liberty against the Royal Perth Yacht Club's challenger, Australia II. The September 1983 series of match races was won by Australia II, with four race wins to three, in the first successful challenge of the New York Yacht Club's 132-year defense of the Cup. The Australian syndicate's boat, skippered by John Bertrand, fought back from a 3–1 deficit to best the Dennis Conner-helmed defender, ending both the longest winning streak in sporting history and U.S. domination of the racing series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 America's Cup</span> 26th Americas Cup yacht race

The 1987 America's Cup was the twenty-sixth challenge for the America's Cup.

Iain Murray is an Australian sailor and yacht designer

The 4th Louis Vuitton Cup was held in San Diego, United States in 1995. The winner, Team New Zealand, went on to challenge for and win the 1995 America's Cup.

The 1988 America's Cup was the 27th America's Cup regatta, and was contested between the defender, San Diego Yacht Club represented by Stars & Stripes H3, and the challenger, the Mercury Bay Boating Club represented by New Zealand Challenge's KZ-1. Run under strict Deed of Gift rules, the regatta was won by the San Diego Yacht club, in a two-race sweep.

The 2nd Louis Vuitton Cup was held in Fremantle, Western Australia in 1987. The winner, Stars & Stripes, went on to challenge for and win the 1987 America's Cup.

New Zealand Challenge was a sailing team funded by Michael Fay that challenged for the America's Cup three times between 1987 and 1992. New Zealand Challenge was the first team from New Zealand to enter the competition.

The 1983 Louis Vuitton Cup was held in Newport, Rhode Island, United States in 1983. The winner, Australia II, went on to challenge for the 1983 America's Cup.

Kookaburra III was the Australian 12 Metre yacht sailed by Iain Murray in the 1987 America's Cup held off of Fremantle, Western Australia. Murray won the Defender Selection and Kookaburra III represented Australia in the America's Cup, where she lost to American challenger Dennis Conner sailing Stars & Stripes 87.

Peter Gilmour is an Australian sailing skipper. He is an America's Cup veteran and was named Western Australian Sportsman of the Year in 1987. He is also the only 4 time World Match racing Tour Champion. He currently resides in Perth, Western Australia.

Stars & Stripes 87 was the 12 Meter challenge boat sailed by Dennis Conner in his bid to reclaim the America's Cup from the Royal Perth Yacht Club of Australia in 1987.

Edmund Kirkland "Kirk" Cooper OBE was a Bermudian former sailor who competed in the 1964 Summer Olympics in Japan, racing in the Etchell class, in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico, in the Dragon class and in the 1972 Summer Olympics in Kiel, Germany, racing in the international Soling class. He was the Olympic flag bearer for Bermuda at the Opening Ceremony in Munich. He was also selected as one of the international jurors for the America's Cup, in 1983, when Australia II won the Cup.

<i>Gretel II</i>

Gretel II (KA-3) is an International 12-metre class racing yacht built for the America's Cup challenge series in 1970. She was designed by Alan Payne and built by W.H. Barnett for Australian media tycoon Sir Frank Packer.

<i>Australia</i> (yacht)

Australia (KA–5) is an Australian 12-metre-class America's Cup racing yacht that twice challenged unsuccessfully for the America's Cup in 1977 and 1980. Designed by Ben Lexcen in association with the Dutch designer Johan Valentijn for Alan Bond, Australia failed to win a single race against the 1977 defender, Courageous (US-26), but won one race against the 1980 defender, Freedom (US-30). Australia resides in Sydney, Australia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gary Lester and Richard Sleeman (1986). The America's Cup 1851–1987 : Sailing For Supremacy. Lester-Townsend Publishing Pty Ltd, Sydney. ISBN   0-949853-08-9.
  2. ↑ Rayer, Ranulf (1986). The paintings of the America's cup 1851–1987, text by Ranulf Rayner; paintings by Tim Thompson; foreword by Ted Turner. Heinemann, Richmond, Vic. ISBN   0-85561-064-6.
  3. 1 2 3 "Yachting". 1 February 1987.
  4. ↑ "Alinghi legends- The 'famous five'". www.sail-world.com.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Sail numbers "Twelve metre yachts by country". TRIVIA. Archived from the original on 6 May 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  6. ↑ "The Australian Defender Selection Series 1987".
  7. ↑ Bob Fisher and Bob Ross (1987). The America's Cup 1987: The Official Record. Pierson. p. 174. ISBN   0-947068-05-8.
  8. ↑ America's Cup '87, Aurum Press, 1986. p.42
  9. ↑ Keith Taylor, ed. (1986). The America's Cup defence. Wilke and Company, Victoria. ISBN   0-86411-054-5.
  10. ↑ "Port Information". Fremantle Ports. Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 17 March 2008.
  11. ↑ "Kookaburra III – KA 15". 32nd America's Cup. Archived from the original on 21 June 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  12. ↑ "Yachting". February 1987.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.