The America's Cup

A history of the America's Cup

The America's Cup, first awarded in 1851, is the oldest trophy in international sport and is considered by sailors to be the Holy Grail of sailboat racing. Although there is no prize money awarded to the winner, racing teams spend tens of millions of dollars to either defend or challenge for the America's Cup and prove their technological supremacy at sea.

Because of the enormous amount of preparation and funding required by the contenders, the event is held about every three years. America's Cup XXXI took place during February/March 2003 in Auckland, New Zealand.

100 GUINEA CUP
The America's Cup was originally known as the 100 Guinea Cup. The trophy became the namesake of New York Yacht Club's rakish schooner America, which won the trophy after defeating 15 British yachts in the All Nation’s Race at Cowes, Isle of Wight, on August 22, 1851. The race was held in conjunction with Prince Albert’s Great London Exhibition of 1851, held in honor of the technological achievements of the time.

The Great London Exhibition showcased the country's ability to build technologically superior (i.e. fast) sailing vessels, which were critical to each nation's economy and the ability to transport cargo across the seas. The tradition of technological superiority remains as the basis for the America’s Cup today. Ultimately, it is a race between sailboats. But because of the highly competitive nature of the event, it also requires superior seamanship and tactical skills.

WINNING STREAK
To encourage friendly competition among foreign countries, the sole surviving owner of the America team, George L. Schuyler, assigned the Cup to New York Yacht Club through a Deed of Gift. New York Yacht Club subsequently announced it would accept challenges for the America's Cup from any organized yacht club of a foreign nation.

The club successfully defended the America's Cup 24 times over a span of 132 years, ultimately losing the ornate Victorian ewer to Western Australia's Royal Perth Yacht Club in 1983.

THE CUP DOWN UNDER
Dennis Conner, who has won the America's Cup outright a record three times and participated in a fourth winning campaign, was at the helm of the 12-meter Liberty in the 1983 loss to Alan Bond's Australia II. Conner staged a remarkable comeback to claim the Cup in 1987 and return it to the United States, this time under the San Diego Yacht Club burgee.

The San Diego Yacht Club defended the Cup three times before losing it to New Zealand's Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in 1995. San Diego Yacht Club's first defense, the so-called 'catamaran defense', came at the expense of a tarnished image for the Cup. After quickly dispatching New Zealander Michael Fay's 133-foot 'big boat'on the water, it took a lengthy one and a half year battle in the New York Supreme Court against New Zealand's Mercury Bay Boating Club before the Cup was officially retained by the San Diego Yacht Club.

GONE AGAIN
In 1992, newcomer Bill Koch's America³ defeated Italian Raul Gardini's Il Moro di Venezia, 4-1. Paul Cayard, Oracle Racing Afterguard, was at the helm of the Italian boat. That year marked the debut of the International America's Cup Class yacht. But San Diego Yacht Club's third defense was not successful. The Kiwis won by a stunning 5-0 margin to take the Cup 'Down Under' for a second time in its 144 -year history.

NEW ZEALAND
In 2000, Russell Coutts led team New Zealand to their second America’s Cup victory with a 5-0 win against Italy's Prada. New Zealand was the first nation ever to have successfully defend the America’s Cup outside the United States.

In 2003, Russell Coutts led Switzerland's Alinghi syndicate to a 5-0 win against his previous team-members of Team New Zealand, setting a new personal record of 14 successful back-to-back victories in the America's Cup.

Timeline of the America's Cup