Gretel II

Last updated

Gretel II
Gretel II.jpg
Yacht clubBurgee of rsys.svg  Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron
NationCivil Ensign of Australia.svg  Australia
Class 12-metre
Sail noKA-3
Designer(s)Alan Payne
BuilderW. H. Barnett
Owner(s) Sir Frank Packer
Racing career
Skippers James Hardy
Gordon Ingate
America's Cup1970
1977
Specifications
Crew John Bertrand

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.

Contents

Packer had first challenged for the America's Cup in 1962 with the yacht Gretel , which was named after his wife. Gretel was competitive but lost that challenge 4–1.

1970 America's Cup

In 1970 Packer returned to Newport, Rhode Island to challenge again for the 'Auld Mug' with his new 12-metre yacht Gretel II representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron. This yacht was the last of the wooden-hulled America's Cup yachts. [1] Gretel II was skippered by Jim Hardy with Martin Visser as tactician and starting helmsman and Bill Fesq as navigator. The crew included future Olympic Star class gold medallists David Forbes and John Anderson and future America's Cup–winning skipper John Bertrand as port trimmer. [2]

After defeating Baron Marcel Bich’s France in the challenger selection series 4–0, the Australian yacht took on the American defender Intrepid , skippered by Bill Ficker in a best-of-seven race series.

Intrepid won the first race when Gretel II's David Forbes was swept overboard but managed to hang onto the sail and scramble back on board. [3] Then in a controversial second race, Gretel II crossed the finish line 1 minute 7 seconds ahead, but due to a collision at the start the Australian challenger was disqualified. Intrepid won the third race but Gretel II recorded a win in the fourth race by a margin of 1 minute 2 seconds. Intrepid then took out the fifth race to win the America's Cup 4–1.

Many observers, such as 1977 America's Cup winning skipper Ted Turner, believed that Gretel II was a faster boat than Intrepid but that the tactical cunning of Bill Ficker and Steve Van Dyke and the performance of the American crew were the deciding factors in the Americans' victory. [4]

1977 America's Cup

Gretel II served as a trial horse for Alan Bond’s Southern Cross in the 1974 America's Cup. In the 1977 America's Cup Gretel II, skippered by Gordon Ingate, was one of four yachts vying to challenge for the Cup. Her wooden decking was replaced with aluminium for the new campaign. Ingate had a veteran crew which earned them the nickname 'Dad's Navy'. The yacht was eliminated by their Swedish rival Sverige during the challenger selection trials. The new Alan Bond yacht Australia won the right to challenge but lost to the Americans.

Decades later, after falling into disrepair, Gretel II was restored by a group of yachting enthusiasts in 2009. She is currently berthed at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania and steered by Steven Shield.

Related Research Articles

Americas Cup Sailing race trophy

The America's Cup, is the oldest consecutive sport and sailing event, also affectionately known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two sailing yacht's clubs. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging for the cup. The timing of each match is determined by an agreement between the defender and the challenger. The America's Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy. The most recent competition for the cup took place in March 2021.

<i>Australia II</i>

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.

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.

12 Metre

The 12 Metre class is a rating class for racing sailboats that are designed to the International rule. It enables fair competition between boats that rate in the class whilst retaining the freedom to experiment with the details of their designs. The designation "12 Metre" does not refer to any single measurement on the boat, and is not referencing the vessels overall length, rather, measures the sum of the components directed by the formula which governs design and construction parameters. Typically 12 Metre class boats range from 65 to 75 feet in length overall; they are most often sloop-rigged, with masts roughly 85 feet tall.

<i>Intrepid</i> (yacht)

Intrepid is a 12-metre class yacht which won the America's Cup in 1967 and again in 1970.

The 1983 America's Cup was the occasion of the first winning challenge to the New York Yacht Club, which had successfully defended the cup over a period of 132 years. An Australian syndicate representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club fielded the Australia II, skippered by John Bertrand, against defender Liberty, skippered by Dennis Conner. Australia II won the match races after fighting back from a 3–1 deficit to win the America's Cup, ending the longest winning streak in sporting history and ending U.S. domination of the racing series.

1987 Americas Cup 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.

1992 Louis Vuitton Cup

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.

1962 Americas Cup

The 1962 America's Cup, the second to be sailed in 12-metre yachts, marked the first challenge for the Cup from a country other than Great Britain or Canada, and was the first challenge from a country in the southern hemisphere. An Australian syndicate headed by Sir Frank Packer, representing the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, challenged with their yacht Gretel. Although the New York Yacht Club won the regatta four races to one represented by the yacht Weatherly, the challenger, Gretel won the second race, beating the Americans for the first time since the 1930s, and only lost the fourth race by twenty-six seconds. The NYYC was so shocked at the closeness of the contest that they immediately changed the rules to ban the use of American design and technology by Cup challengers.

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.

1980 Americas Cup

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 defence 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.

The 1977 America's Cup was held in September 1977 at Newport, Rhode Island. The US defender, Courageous, skippered by Ted Turner, defeated the Australian challenger, Australia, skippered by Noel Robins, in a four-race sweep. Courageous' greatest winning margin out of all four races was 2 minutes and 23 seconds. It was the second unsuccessful challenge by Alan Bond.

1970 Americas Cup

The 1970 America's Cup was held in September 1970 at Newport, Rhode Island. The US defender, Intrepid, skippered by Bill Ficker, defeated the Australian challenger, Gretel II, skippered by James Hardy, four races to one.

The 1970 Herbert Pell Cup was held in Newport, Rhode Island, United States in 1970. The winner, Gretel II, was awarded the Herbert Pell Cup and went on to challenge for the 1970 America's Cup. This was the first time a challenger's selection series was held, previously the New York Yacht Club had accepted a direct challenge for the America's Cup.

The 1977 Herbert Pell Cup was held in Newport, Rhode Island, United States in 1977. The winner, Australia, was awarded the Herbert Pell Cup and went on to challenge for the 1977 America's Cup.

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.

Alan Payne (naval architect)

Alan Newbury Payne AM was a naval architect born in England but who worked in Australia. His yacht designs were readily built by both professionals and amateurs, and remain well represented in the ocean-going and coastal yacht fleet.

References

  1. ↑ 'A star reborn' - Sails (magazine) - October 2011 - Author: Peter Campbell
  2. ↑ 'Born to win: a lifelong struggle to capture the America's Cup' - John Bertrand and Patrick Robinson (Hearst Marine Books, 1985) - pg 271
  3. ↑ 'About the America's Cup' - Vernon Hines – (Bookcliff Publishing Company, 1986) – pg 82
  4. ↑ 'The America's Cup Yachts: The Rhode Island Connection' - Richard V. Simpson - (Arcadia Publishing, 1999) - pg 119
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.