The “Defender Selection Series” 1983

Freedom / US-30 Courageous / US-26 Defender / US-33 Liberty / US-40

Under the umbrella of the NYYC four 12m yachts sailed to determine the winner and official defender of the AC 1983. The elimination process of the defenders was initially split in two groups: The first one with the veteran Courageous (AC 1974/77) and the new Defender. The second one with Freedom winner of the AC 1980 and the new Liberty. It won Liberty (U.S. 40)

Under the umbrella of the NYYC four 12m yachts sailed to determine the winner

25th AMERICA's CUP 1983 Newport, Rhode Island, USA Yacht / Country : Courageous 1974 / USA Sailnumber : US-26 Syndicate : People to People CEO : Charles E. Kirsch Yacht Club : NYYC Design : William Langan Boat Builder : Minneford’s Yacht Yard Inc. Skipper : John Kolius 1983 The top designer William Langan was a partner of Olin Stephens (1908-2008) at Sparksman & Stephens. Courageous was the successful defender of the ACs 1974 and 1977. She was the first contender which was built in aluminium alloy, the new construction material for the coming AC generation. After a substantial reconstruction she became a fast and ambitious defender in the defender or trial series arranged by the dominating NYYC. She sailed in the package Courageous / Defender versus Freedom / Liberty . In the hands of the skipper John Kolius she proved to be a fast 12 m in all kind of winds and conditions. She put a lot of pressure both on Defender and Liberty. But as she was an over-aged yacht a lot of decision makers did not want to see her as an official defender. US-26 Courageous 1974 / USA and the “Defender Selection Series” 1983 Courageous was the successful defender of the ACs 1974 and 1977. She was the first contender

Yacht / Country : Freedom / USA Sailnumber : US-30 Syndicate : 1983: Freedom Campaign 1983 at Ft. Schuyler CEO : Yacht Club : NYYC Design : Olin J. Stephens (Sparkman & Stephens ) Boat Builder : Minneford Yacht Yard Ltd. 25th AMERICA's CUP 1983 Newport, Rhode Island, USA 1983 Freedom / US-30 Freedom is the product of the famous designer Olin J. Stephens (1908-2008) at Sparkman & Stephens and defended successfully the AC 1980 against Australia I. She was a 12m with a very low free-board. In the meantime the rule has been changed (because of safety reasons) in favour of a higher free-board for newly built yachts. But the old ones could still attend the competitions. Before the official events all teams changed in trials permanently the yachts, by shortening or lengthening the bow or the stern, changing the keel size, moving masts or rudders forward or backward, changing the shape of the rudders, the areas of the sails or the position or weight of the ballast. But there were strong limitations which observed that substantial reconstructions do not create a new yacht. That happened by mistake with Freedom. She lost the rating as an old yacht and could not be measured as a new one because of her low free-board. Freedom had to be taken out from the defender series pair with Liberty. US-30 Freedom and the “Defender Selection Series” 1983 Freedom is the product of the famous designer Olin J. Stephens (1908-2008) at Sparkman & Stephens and defended successfully the AC 1980 against Australia I.

25th AMERICA's CUP 1983 Newport, Rhode Island, USA Yacht / Country : Defender / USA Sailnumber : US-33 Syndicate : People to People Sports Committee Yacht Club : NYYC Design : David R. Pedrick Boat Builder : Newport Offshore Ltd. Skipper : Thomas D. Blackaller

1983 Defender was a beautiful, conventional 12-m racer, but she was slow. She was skippered by Thomas Blackaller, the sharp-tongued opponent by Dennis Conner. In the Defender/Courageous group she could not convince against Courageous helmed by John Kolius. Playing with modifications on the just developed “computer velocity prediction program”, she could not beat the elder yacht on speed when this one was fed with the same modified parameters. Defender became 1986 the trial horse for Heart of America US-51 US-33 Defender and the “Defender Selection Series” 1983 Defender was a beautiful, conventional 12-m racer, but she was slow.

AMERICA’S CUP HISTORY 1983 - 2013