Rebirth of the Big Boat

1992 - America³ Surprises Il Moro di Venencia, 4-1

Bill Koch burst upon the America’s Cup scene with his mantra of technology, teamwork and talent, and one of the biggest war chests ever. The combination proved unbeatable as the rookie—who insisted on occasionally steering his own boat—showed the veterans how to build a fast sailboat. His America³ first dispatched Dennis Conner, then surprised most America’s Cup pundits by downing Italy’s Il Moro di Venenzia, 4-1.

Obviously sailing a slower boat, Il Moro skipper Paul Cayard and crew never relented as they pushed the faster American boat around the track in the match for the America’s Cup. In the nail-biter of a second race, Cayard won the start and employed classic match-racing tactics to fend off the hard-charging Americans. That set up the thrilling finish as the white American sailboat closed on its red Italian competitor, with Il Moro crossing the line just three seconds ahead for the closest finish in the history of the match.

The fact that Cayard and the Italian team, backed by the late industrialist Raul Gardini, were even in the final was a testiment to Cayard’s fortitude and sailing skill. The months-long challenger trials was a grueling elimination process involving eight sailboats from seven nations. Besides the Italian entry, there were teams from Australia (2), France, Japan, New Zealand, Spain and Sweden.

The New Zealand team, as it had done in Australia, was the early favorite and dominated the challenger races off San Diego’s Point Loma. But controversy is part and parcel to the America’s Cup, and the Kiwis’ bowsprit became the focal point of dispute. After extensive protest hearings in which Cayard demonstrated how the bowsprit was used to an unfair advantage, the Kiwis not only lost that battle, they also seemed to lose heart. Cayard’s Il Moro di Venecia defeated New Zealand—which also sported a radical tandem or ”"fork” keel—in the challenger finals for the Louis Vuitton Cup.

1995 - Kiwis Conquer Conner, 5-0, Take Cup Back Down Under

The persistent New Zealanders, like their Australian counterparts a decade earlier, proved relentless in their quest for the Cup. In the 29th defense, the Kiwis’ black boat became a symbol of supremacy on the seas off Point Loma, amassing the unprecedented record of 42-1 during the months-long competition. After decimating the challenger fleet, New Zealand wasted no time in dispatching Team Dennis Conner and Young America, 5-0, to win the Auld Mug for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. The America’s Cup had changed hands again.

Conner’s loss came despite having some of the best sailing talent in the world on his boat, including helmsman Paul Cayard. But it was déja vu for Cayard, who for the second time in a row found himself in the America’s Cup final match, only to be handicapped once again by sailing the obviously slower boat.

Besides the Cup changing hands again, the 1995 defense was also remarkable on a number of counts:

• OneAustralia became the first sailboat to sink in the history of the storied event. Pounding in heavy seas, the sailboat began to break up during a race against New Zealand. In less than three minutes, all trace of the sailboat had disappeared. Fortunately, the entire crew escaped unscathed.
• OneAustralia skipper John Bertrand became only the second skipper to fall overboard during America’s Cup competition.
• In a deal that still has heads shaking, the never-say-die Dennis Conner was given new life after being virtually eliminated from the defender trials. That came back to haunt series-leader PACT 95, which was expected to win the Citizen Cup defender trials. A miracle comeback in the final race of the defender series by Conner’s Stars & Stripes over Mighty Mary gave Team Dennis Conner the Citizen Cup and the right to face New Zealand in the final match.
• Despite winning the defender trials with Stars & Stripes, a name he used for each of his America’s Cup sailboats for more than a decade, Conner chartered Young America from the rival PACT 95 syndicate to race against Team New Zealand.
• Dennis Conner became the first skipper to lose the America’s Cup twice.
• The first all-women’s team (later the mostly women’s team) sailed in America’s Cup competition.

2000 - Kiwis to Defend Auld Mug Against All Comers

The Challenger of Record is New York Yacht Club, which formed the America’s Cup Challenger Association, Inc., to conduct the challenger selection series, scheduled to begin in late 1999, also in Auckland. A number of yacht clubs from around the world, including San Francisco’s St. Francis Yacht Club, have submitted challenges to the RNZYS.