Australia II

Australia II

Americascup
shortname = "Australia II"


Fullname = Australia II
club = Royal Perth Yacht Club
nat = AUS
owner = flagicon|AUS Alan Bond
skip = flagicon|AUS John Bertrand
year = 1983
wins = America's Cup; 1983
boats = KA6

The "Australia II" is a 12-metre class yacht, and the first successful challenger for the America's Cup after 132 years.

Design

Designed by Ben Lexcen, built by Stephan Ward, owned by Alan Bond and helmed by John Bertrand. "Australia II" featured an innovative winged keel design developed by Lexcen which helped to make it very fast and manoeuvrable in many conditions and was the most controversial but legal design feature of the boat.cite news |first= Dave |last= Anderson |title= SPORTS OF THE TIMES; Yachting's Crocodile Dundee |url= http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE3DB1F3BF936A35756C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all |work= Sports |publisher= New York Times |date= 1988-05-05 |accessdate= 2008-03-13] During the summer of 1983, as selection trials took place for the Cup defence that autumn, it was unclear whether the keel design was legal within the strict rules governing the 12-metre class.

The keel design was eventually confirmed as legal. Despite being the first 12-metre to sport the new design, "Australia II" was not the first boat to have a winged keel, though its success did much to make the concept popular.

Also helping the Australians was new sail technology, finally equalling or exceeding that of the Americans. Further, Bertrand made sure he and his crew was trained and refined to execute at the highest levels despite the pressure of this historical match up.

America's Cup

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

The "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 07 November 1983 was a landmark event for the nation of Australia, not to mention the Royal Perth Yacht Club, and it eventually earned Australia II the ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year for 1983.

Popular culture

The "Boxing Kangaroo" was the official mascot of the Australia II effort.The win was received with much enthusiasm in Australia, with the Men at Work song "Down Under" becoming the official anthem for the crew.

In the film Wind, Australia II is portrayed as "Boomerang".

Retirement

In the mid-1980s, "Australia II" was sent to the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney, Australia for display. For the 150th anniversary of the America's Cup, the boat was removed from the museum and shipped to the Isle of Wight, sailing with the original crew for several days of commemorative regattas. The boat has since been returned to Fremantle, Western Australia where it is on permanent display in the Western Australian Maritime Museum.

References

Further reading

* Schmitt, Hugh.(1987) "Australia II - details on the housing of the yacht" The West Australian 28 May 1987, p.16a-c b


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Australia — • Includes history, education, and religious statistics Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Australia     Australia     † …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • AUSTRALIA — AUSTRALIA, island continent, within the British Commonwealth. At least six Jewish convicts who arrived at Botany Bay, New South Wales, in 1788 were later among the first settlers, including John Harris who, when freed, became the first policeman… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Australia II — Technische Daten (Überblick) Takelung: Sloop Segelklasse: 12mR Segelnummer: KA 6 Konstrukteur: Ben Lexcen Stapellauf: 6. Juni 1982 Werft …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Australia — ist: die englische Bezeichnung für das Land Australien die englische Bezeichnung für den gleichnamigen Kontinent, siehe Australien (Kontinent) der Name der siegreichen Herausforderer Yacht im 25. America s Cup, siehe Australia II der Titel eines… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • australia — ● australia adjectif invariable Antigène australia, antigène du virus à A.D.N. de l hépatite B. ● australia (expressions) adjectif invariable Antigène australia, antigène du virus à A.D.N. de l hépatite B. ● australia (synonymes) adjectif… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Australia — (Астипалея,Греция) Категория отеля: Адрес: Astypálaia, Астипалея, 85900, Греция …   Каталог отелей

  • Australia A — may refer to: * Australia A cricket team * Australia A national rugby union team …   Wikipedia

  • Australia — [ô strāl′yə] [ModL < L ( terra) australis, southern (land): see AUSTRAL] 1. island continent in the Southern Hemisphere between the S Pacific and Indian oceans 2. country comprising this continent and Tasmania: a member of the Commonwealth:… …   English World dictionary

  • Australia — Australia,   Urkontinent, Gondwana …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Australia — from L. Terra Australis (16c.), from australis southern + IA (Cf. ia). A hypothetical southern continent, known as terra australis incognita, had been proposed since 2c. Dutch explorers called the newfound continent New Holland; the current name… …   Etymology dictionary

  • austrália — s. f. Mimosa de folha persistente …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”