Australia II

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Australia II
Australia II pan.JPG
Yacht clubBurgee of royal perth yc.svg  Royal Perth Yacht Club
NationCivil Ensign of Australia.svg  Australia
Class 12-metre
Sail noKA–6
Designer(s) Ben Lexcen
BuilderSteve Ward
Launched1982
Owner(s) Alan Bond
Australian Government c.1985
Racing career
Skippers John Bertrand
Notable victories 1983 Louis Vuitton Cup
1983 America's Cup
America's Cup1983
Specifications
Displacement21.8 tons
Length19.21 metres (63.0 ft) (LOA)
13.10 metres (43.0 ft) (LWL)
Beam3.64 metres (11.9 ft)
Draft2.72 metres (8 ft 11 in)
Sail area175 square metres (1,880 sq ft)

Australia II (KA 6) is an Australian 12-metre-class America's Cup challenge racing yacht that was launched in 1982 [1] 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 (with 26 successful defences) by the New York Yacht Club.

Contents

Design

Australia II was designed by Ben Lexcen, built by Steve Ward, owned by Alan Bond and skippered by John Bertrand. [2] Lexcen's Australia II design featured a reduced waterline length and a short chord winged keel which gave the boat a significant advantage in manoeuvrability and heeling moment (lower ballast centre of gravity) but it was a significant disadvantage in choppy seas. The boat was also very quick in stays. [3] The winged keel was a major design advance, and its legality was questioned by the New York Yacht Club. During the summer of 1983, as selection trials took place for the Cup defence that autumn, the New York Yacht Club challenged the legality of the keel design. The controversy was decided in Australia II's favour. [4]

Australia II sported a number of other innovative features that contributed to her success, including radical vertical sail designs, all-kevlar running rigging and a lightweight carbon fibre boom. [5] [6]

Winged keel of Australia II Australia-II-keel (1).jpg
Winged keel of Australia II

Later claims of Dutch design

In 2009, more than two decades after Ben Lexcen's death, Dutch naval architect Peter van Oossanen claimed that the winged keel was actually designed by him and his group of Dutch designers, and not Lexcen. [7] [8] If true, this would have been reason to disqualify Australia II, since the rules then stated that challenging yachts were to be designed only by citizens of the nations they represented.

The controversy arose due to Cup rules allowing designers to use model basins for testing that were not located in the challenging country. Model testing was performed in the Netherlands and Peter van Oossanen and another Dutch engineer, Joop Sloof, performed measurements and analyses related to evaluation of winged keel designs.

The suggestion that the vessel was not designed by Australians has been refuted by both John Bertrand and project manager John Longley. [9] [10] Furthermore, it is well established that Lexcen had been experimenting with wing adaptations to the undersurface appendages of boats before, including his 1958 skiffs Taipan and Venom, although in the latter application they were not determined to be effective and not further adopted.

In 1983 Lexcen commented on the design issue: "I have in mind to admit it all to the New York Yacht Club that I really owe the secret of the design to a Greek guy who helped me out and was invaluable. He's been dead for 2000 years. Bloody Archimedes..." [11]

Competitions

Louis Vuitton Cup

Australia II dominated the 1983 Louis Vuitton Cup before defeating Azzurra in the semi-finals and Victory '83 in the final to win the trophy and earn the right to challenge for the America's Cup. [12]

America's Cup

Australia II, bearing sail number KA6, [13] represented the Royal Perth Yacht Club of Australia in its September 1983 challenge for the America's Cup. [14] The defender, the New York Yacht Club, had held the cup since 1851, [15] dominating challengers and sustaining the longest winning streak in sport. [16]

Australia II, skippered by John Bertrand, faced Dennis Conner sailing the 12-metre Liberty in the ocean off Newport, Rhode Island. Australia II came from behind to prevail 4 races to 3. The victory on 26 September 1983 [17] was a landmark event for the nation of Australia, not to mention the Royal Perth Yacht Club. The achievement was underscored when Australia II was awarded the ABC Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year for 1983. [18] The crew of Australia II for the America's Cup races was John Bertrand (skipper), Will Baillieu, Colin Beashel, Rob Brown, Peter Costello, Damian Fewster, James Hardy (alternate helm), Ken Judge, Skip Lissiman, John Longley, Scott McAllister, Brian Richardson, Phil Smidmore, Grant Simmer, and Hugh Treharne. [19] [20] Beashel was an Olympic medal winning sailor who competed at six Olympic games. [21] Richardson was a dual-Olympian oarsman who had stroked the Australian men's eight at the Moscow 1980 Olympics [22] and Baillieu had also rowed for Australia, in a coxed four at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The Boxing Kangaroo was the official mascot of the Australia II effort. [19]

The win was received with much enthusiasm in Australia, with the Men at Work song "Down Under" becoming the official anthem for the crew. [4]

Retirement

In the mid-1980s, Australia II was sold by Alan Bond to the Australian government. [23] She was lent to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney for display in 1991. [23] In 2000, Australia II was removed from the National Maritime Museum and transferred to the Western Australian Maritime Museum in Fremantle. [23] For the 150th anniversary celebrations of the America's Cup in 2001, she was removed from the museum and shipped to the Isle of Wight, sailing with the original crew for several days of commemorative regattas. [24] Australia II was returned to the Western Australian Maritime Museum, where she is on permanent display. [25]

In 2017, the Team of Australia II were among the inaugural inductees to the Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. [26]

Related Research Articles

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

The America's Cup is a sailing competition and 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. The winner is awarded the America's Cup trophy, informally known as the Auld Mug. 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.

John Edwin BertrandAO is a yachtsman from Australia, who skippered Australia II to victory in the 1983 America's Cup, ending 132 years of American supremacy, and the only time Australia has won. Bertrand won the bronze medal in the Finn competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. In 2010 and 2016, he won the world Etchells class sailing championships. He is a life member of both the Royal Brighton Yacht Club in Melbourne, and the Sorrento Sailing Couta Boat Club.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winged keel</span> Keel type

The winged keel is a sailboat keel layout first fitted on the 12-metre class yacht Australia II, 1983 America's Cup winner.

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

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David John Barnes was a New Zealand America's Cup sailor, and three-time 470 world champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Perth Yacht Club</span> Sailing club in Perth, Western Australia

The Royal Perth Yacht Club (RPYC) is a yacht club in Perth, Western Australia. It is the third oldest yacht club in Australia after the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria and the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. It is based at the Crawley Marina on Pelican Point and at the Fremantle Annexe in Challenger Harbour.

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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Louis Vuitton Cup</span>

The 3rd Louis Vuitton Cup was held in San Diego, United States in 1992. The winner, Il Moro di Venezia, went on to challenge for the 1992 America's Cup.

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.

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.

Thomas David Blackaller Jr. was a world-champion American yachtsman, America's Cup helmsman, sailmaker, and racecar competitor. He was a two-time world champion in the Star class keelboat, a world champion in the international Six metre class, raced in three separate America's Cup campaigns, and influenced the careers of many other sailors.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 America's Cup</span>

The 1980 America's Cup was held in September 1980 at Newport, Rhode Island. The US defender, Freedom, skippered by Dennis Conner, defeated the Australian challenger, Australia, skippered by James Hardy, four races to one. This was the last successful defense of the cup by the New York Yacht Club and the last defender designed by the naval architectural firm Sparkman & Stephens. It was the sixth unsuccessful challenge by Australia and the third by Alan Bond.

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>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.

The 1980 Herbert Pell Cup was held in Newport, Rhode Island, United States in 1980. The winner, Australia, was awarded the Herbert Pell Cup and went on to challenge for the 1980 America's Cup.

Timothea "Timmy" Larr is a naval architect and three-time winner of United States Women's Sailing Championship. She was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2013. She is also known for her work in developing training programs for sailors in the United States.

References

  1. ↑ J.T. "1983 – Australia II – KA 6". 33rd America's Cup. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  2. ↑ "One America's Cup was enough for John Bertrand". Australian Financial Review. 22 September 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  3. ↑ Anderson, Dave (5 May 1988). "Sports of the Times; Yachting's Crocodile Dundee". Sports. The New York Times .
  4. 1 2 Paolacci, Louise (12 September 2013). "We Come from a Land Down Under: Australia's Thrilling Victory in the 1983 America's Cup". Readex. NewsBank . Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  5. ↑ "America's Cup 1983: Sailmaker's Laboratory". Yachting . Vol. 155, no. 2. February 1984. pp. 66–70.
  6. ↑ Fishman, Joanne A. (4 September 1983). "LIBERTY SEES NO NEED FOR WINGED KEEL". The New York Times . Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  7. ↑ Feneley, Rick (14 October 2009). "Winged keel not Lexcen's design, Dutch architect claims". The Age . Melbourne, Australia.
  8. ↑ Spurr, Dan (October–November 2009). "Winged Victory". Professional Boatbuilder.
  9. ↑ Donald, Timothy (14 October 2009). "Dutchman Claims Australia II Keel Design". ABC News .
  10. ↑ Longley, John (19 October 2009). "Scuttlebutt News". Scuttlebutt News (letter). Archived from the original on 26 October 2013.[ unreliable source? ]
  11. ↑ Robinson, Blue (2 October 2009) [2007]. "Ben Lexcen: A crazy, lovable rogue". Scuttlebutt News.
  12. ↑ Anderson, Dave (5 May 1988). "SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Yachting's Crocodile Dundee". Sports. New York Times. Retrieved 13 March 2008.
  13. ↑ "1983 – A 'Wing' for the Books". North Sails. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  14. ↑ "America's Cup". Royal Perth Yacht Club. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  15. ↑ "Defenders & Challengers 1851–2017". America's Cup. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  16. ↑ "Longest winning streak in sporting history – broken". Defining Moments in Australian History. National Museum of Australia. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  17. ↑ "1983 – Australia II – KA 6". Ac-clopedia. AC Management S.A. Sucursal en España. 25 September 2011. Archived from the original on 1 July 2012. Retrieved 24 April 2012.
  18. ↑ "Wide World of Sports Athletes of the Year". ESPN . Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  19. 1 2 King, Simon (26 September 2013). "Winged keel and a prayer". The Australian . Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  20. ↑ Naglazas, Mark (21 September 2023). "Bondy the bum: Why the crew of Australia II missed out on going to the White House". WAtoday. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  21. ↑ Campbell, Peter (22 April 2007). "Historic day for Colin Beashel and Alruth". Sail World. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  22. ↑ "Brian Richardson". World Rowing. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
  23. 1 2 3 "Go west: Australia II heads for home". The Sydney Morning Herald . 27 October 2000. p. 3.
  24. ↑ McCormick, Herb (19 August 2001). "THE BOATING REPORT; Past and Present Toast America's Cup Together". New York Times. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  25. ↑ "Tin Canoe to Australia II Gallery". WA Maritime Museum. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
  26. ↑ "The Team of Australia II". Australian Sailing Hall of Fame. Retrieved 21 October 2019.

Further reading

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