FINAL Louis Vuitton Cup 1992
Syndicate
Yacht
Sail #
Il Moro de Venecia
I Moro de Venecia
ITA - 25
NZL Challenge
New Zealand
NZL- 20
* bolted sail number = challenger of the LVC
SEMIFINALS LVC 1992
Syndicate
Yacht
Sail #
NZL Challenge
New Zealand
NZL- 20
Il Moro de Venecia
I Moro de Venecia
ITA - 25
Nippon Challenge
Nippon
JPN - .26
Le Defi Francais 95 Ville de Paris
FRA - 27
Winer and official challenger became Il Moro
di Venecia ITA-25 of Italy.
She defeated Kiwi Magic NZL-20 but
could not gain the America’s Cup.
The Louis Vuitton Cup 1992
Winer and official challenger became Black
Magic NZL 32 of New Zealand.
KIWI Magic (NZL - 20) lost the final of the LVC 1992
The challenger from New Zealand carried a
tandem keel with a 9 ton lead bulb between.
The challenger from New Zealand carried a
tandem keel with a 9 ton lead bulb between.
She had no rudder-blade but was steered by
flaps on the keel. Yacht circles expected
that NZL 20 will win the LVC because she
was light, fast and handy with a professional
crew.
At the end she got troubles with an
outrigger on top of her bow-sprit which was
belayed with a line of her spinnaker.
With this trick the boat could sail very fast
gybes.
Despite a controversy if really the IYRR
sailing rule was fringed, NZL 20 was fined
and lost one won race in the final following a
protest of ITA 25.
At the end the crew was changed,
conventional spinnaker manoeuvre could not
be extensively trained any more and NZL 20
lost the final – close - but lost.
Ville de Paris (FRA-27) sailed in the semifinals of the LVC 1992
After FRA-2 and FRA-8 the FRA-27 was the 3rd French
yacht.
FRA-2 was overall the first IACC yacht which was
launched from dock.
She was financed by Marc Pajot's own expense.
FRA-2 was fast but was sold due to financial reasons
to the American AC applicant Beach Boys Syndicate.
This team canceled shortly after its application and
sold the yacht to the America3 Foundation.
The sailing idol Marc Pajot (see French Kiss / AC 1987)
tried as a result to dismiss the syndicate manager
Eric A. Ogden.
The politician Jacques Chirac then mayor of Paris tried
to prevent this action and threatened a public subsidy
stop of 6.4 million U$.
Eric Ogden wanted now to fire Pajot itself, but failed.
A new owner, the industrialist Pierre Legris took
over the syndicate with a U$ 7 million donation.
He diminished Ogden, confirmed the application
of Pajot and calmed the situation.
FRA-27 reached the semifinals in the LVC.
After FRA-2 and FRA-8 the FRA-27 was the 3rd French
yacht.
Nippon (JPN-26) reached the semifinals of
LOUIS VUITTON CUP (LVC) 1992
Nippon Challenge built three yachts, JPN-3, JPN-6
and JPN-26. JPN-26 reached the semifinals of the LVC.
Yacht / Country : Nippon
Sail Number : JPN-26
Syndicate : Nippon Challenge
CEO : Tatsumitsu Yamasaki
Yacht Club: Nippon Ocean Racing Club
Designer : Bruce Farr, Ichiro Yokoyama
Kennosuke Hayashi, Akira Hubota
Boat Builder :
Skipper :. Chris Dickson, Makoto Namba
Although Japan is an island with a fishing industry
playing always an extremely important role the
Japanese are not a sailing nation, as e.g. the New
Zealanders.
This was their first challenge and the start was difficult.
There was still beside Nippon Challenge a 2nd applicant
called Bengal Bay Challenge.
This syndicate was immediately in the media, when it
bought the 12m yachts Australia II and IV as test boats
at U$ 7 mio. from Alan Bond.
Due to lack of money they could neither order a new
IACC yacht nor pay the remaining registration fee.
They were later in bankruptcy.
Nippon Challenge built three yachts, JPN-3, JPN-6
and JPN-26.
JPN-26 reached the semifinals of the LVC.
Employing great Japanese designers the
syndicate hired as skipper the sail-as and
New Zealander Chris Dickson.
(see KZ-7 Kiwi Magic AC 87) Having a lot of
experience he was known to create problems with
his crews because of his toughness. The Los Angeles
Times has asked pretty soon if the team could
withstand him 11/2 years. They did.
The experienced and highly regarded Makoto Namba
was the Japanese co-skipper and liaison officer on the
Nippon.
Spirit of Australia Challenge was the syndicate of Ian
Murray, at 24 the youngest skipper of an AC on the
underfunded Advance / 1983 and the talented organizer
of Kevin Perry's fleet of Kookaburra I-III / 1987.
AUS-21 is a construction Murray's, who was by the way
heavily involved for the elaboration of the IACC formula.
Originally, in 1992 a collaboration with Alan Bond
(Australia II / 1983) was planned, but failed due to Bonds
private financial turbulences and legal turmoil.
Murray managed the initial financing through the support
of approximately 15,000 people before major sponsors,
such as Qantas joined the syndicate.
The yacht could not convince in the LVC .but it belongs to
the IACCs finest boats ever built. The yacht had a tandem
keel with a lead bulb and no rudder.
Later she got a conventional fin and a rudder. In the
summer of 2004 the yacht roamed - sponsored by the
"Financial Times" - with tourists in Sydney Harbour a
rock, lost the keel and capsized spectacularly. There were
no serious injured.
Spirit of Austrlia (AUS-21) resigned after the RR3
of the LOUIS VUITTON CUP (LVC) from 1992
Spirit of Australia Challenge was the syndicate of Ian
Murray, at 24 the youngest skipper
Challenge Australia (AUS-17) was last after the RR3 of the LVC 1992
__________________________________________________________________________
Yacht / Country : Challenge Australia
Sail Number : AUS - 17
Syndicate :
CEO : Syd Fischer
Yacht Club: Cruising YC of Australia
Designer : Dr. Peter van Oossanen
Boat Builder :
Skipper : Phil Thompson, Hugh Treharne
Syd Fischer, a builder-merchant and an excellent
Offshore sailor (world champion in the one-ton class)
nominated a "low budget" challenge, which he funded
himself.
Without billboards of sponsors his yacht is quite plain
with only few published images.
Designer of the AUS-17 is Dr. Peter van Oossanen,
those expert in the testing laboratory in the Dutch town
of Wageningen who tested the fin keel of Australia II.
(He recently gave an interview to a boat magazine
and claimed that he (and not Ben Lexcen) invented and
built the fin keel and caused again the break out of an
old quarrel that the yacht was not purely an Australian
boat obstructing the Deed of Gift.
With this contention the New York YC tried in vain to
disqualify the yacht from the 1983 Cup. As Ben Lexcen
died in 1989 and can not defend himself this matter is
not cooked up any more.)
The AUS-17 carried a mighty, heavy and rotating bulb
on a fin. It should prevent the drift of the yacht but
disturbed ultimately her straight travel property.
The "Challenge Australia" reached in the LVC after RR3
the last ranking. Soon after her rig and equipment have
been removed.
Syd Fischer, a builder-merchant and an excellent
Offshore sailor
c.K.Urtz 2012
Tre Kronor (SWE-19) ended the LVC in RR3 with 8 points
Sweden sailed already in the 12m class in 1977 and
1980 with Sverige 2 two challenges in the "Challenger
Sweden sailed already in the 12m class in 1977
and 1980 with Sverige 2, two challenges in the
"Challenger Series", the between Baron Bich and
the New York Yacht Club agreed precursor of the
Louis Vouitton Cup. The syndicate was
represented at that time by the Gothenburg YC.
A new generation of sailors bought in late 1987
the 12m "South Australia" (see AC 1987) because
they expected, like many other syndicates, a
continuation of the 12m-rule after the AC 1988
disaster.
But after 1988 in many countries the interest of
potential sponsors disappeared to finance a
challenge.
This exactly hit the new Swedish syndicate.
Because of lack on time and money the SWE-19
could be only completed and transported to San
Diego at the last moment.
The "Tre Kronor" was in San Diego only 3 days on
the water. before the official regatta started. The
team even decided to buy an additional fore-sail
instead of a canvas which should hide the yacht's
underwater construction.
Lack of training, they won 3 and lost 18 races.
Krantz said this was also a record, "because they came late and left early."
Yacht / Country : Espana 92- Quinto Centenario
Sail Number : ESP - 22
Syndicate : Desafio Espana Copa America 92
CEO : Miguel Aquilo
Yacht Club: Monte Real Cub
de Yates de Bayona
Designer : I.-E. Joaquon, Gonzales Devesa
Manuel Ruiz Evira, Dirgo Colon
Boat Builder : Astilleros Espanoles
Skipper :. Pedro Campos
Espana 92 - Quinto Centenario (ESP-22) finished the LVC in RR3 with 27 points
c.K.Urtz 2012
Although the Spaniards, including King Juan
Carlos (Olympian 1972 at Kiel in the Dragon
class) have excellent sailors, it was not sure
whether to participate in the AC in 1992.
When collecting money the "Columbus-year"
with the celebration of the Discovery of
America for 500 years helped the team so
magnificent, that they immediately decided to
apply for a Cup challenge.
The syndicate had two yachts, the ESP 5
and ESP-22 under contract.
The latter sailed in the LVC and finished the
RoundRobin 3 with 27 points.
The syndicate had two yachts, the ESP 5
and ESP-22 under contract.
28th AMERICA's CUP 1992 San Diego, USA
Il Moro de Venecia I: AC I-1:. The first yacht in the new IACC class
The famous Argentinian naval architect German Frers
designed numerous commercial yachts.
From 1976 to 1987 he drew for Raul Gardini the third of
the 3 successful Maxi-Yachts, called “ Il Moro de
Venecia I-III “ as well.
ITA-1 the first yacht built according the new IACC-rule,
looks a little bit like these Maxi-designs.
As the famous logo of the “can” was not published
yet, the sail was marked with an underlined AC like
the former 12 .
“ Il Moro de Venecia I “ / ITA-1 was christened in
Venice with an impressive ceremony.
She never sailed in the LVC.
ITA-1 was fourth at the World Championships,
but was primarily used as a trial boat for
improvements to the later models.
In 1994 she was leased by a Russian challenger
and sailed again in the World Championship
with the sail number RUS-1 and an impressive red
spinnaker with the golden “Tencara lion” (see below).
He had paid the first part of the AC entrance fee but
gave up because of money problems.
In 1998 she has been bought by a Chicago
businessman as a daysailer.
In 2000 she was sold to a businessman in
Sausalito,California. She began as a sailing-billboard
(sails with banners) and in the tourist charter.
She was in good condition, but was painted in a
swimming pool-like turquoise.
Il Moro di Venecia" means in English
"The Moor of Venice" in accordance
to "Othello". At the bow and the stern
she carries as a symbolic drawing a
head of a lion, the emblem of Venice.
This is also the company logo of the
Tencara shipyard.
The famous Argentinian naval architect German Frers
designed numerous commercial yachts.
Wek Rossii (RUS-24) arrived in San Diego, but never sailed in the LVC:
The Cyrillic text means “WEK ROSSII” = Age of Russia
The Yacht Club of St. Petersburg, formerly
Leningrad, is one of the oldest sailing clubs in the
world.
The first attempt of Russia to take part in the
America's Cup failed due to competence disputes
between Moscow and Petersburg and at the end on
a lack of money.
The official, and by the San Diego YC recognized
challenger was the Red Star 92 Syndicate, which
was sponsored by the St. Petersburg YC. First they
built a test yacht in Aluminium for training around
St. Petersburg.
The second yacht in carbon-fiber has been finished
so late, that it could be only transported by plane
to arrive in time. But the YC had no sufficient
money.
Suddenly Moscow representatives nominated
to the surprise of all as another official challenger
the Age of Russia Syndicate. Their yacht has
been flown together with her crew in an Antonov-
124 to San Diego but took part to no competition.
At the beginning they were not allowed to sail in
the San Diego Bay because of military
installations.
Later they received a special approval from the
Navy and the Coast Guard to sail outside the Bay.
As the Red Star 92 Syndicate had no boat, but
the official recognition as challenger, the Age of
Russia Syndicate tried to establish a mixed crew,
which failed and therefore the whole challenge
.
While the "Energia Space Centre," has carried out all major space projects from the "Sputnik" to the
"Buran" space shuttle, the "Wek Rossii" was considered as a clumsy and slow yacht. Later she was
allegedly jacked up on a storage place as a blocked deposit of a bank. In 1995 her hull - without sails -
has been offered at 25,000 U$. (with estimated costs for additional equipment of around U$ 200,000).
Because of magnificent alterations she had be reclassified in 2000 and received the sail number
RUS-62 again for a Russian candidate who withdrew later his challenge Then she sailed as tourist
attraction along with the America II (see AC 1987 "Geronimo") for a company in British Columbia
(Canada).
2003 the two yachts were offered again for sale. The fate of "Wek Rossii" (Age of Russia) is unknown.
'AGE OF RUSSIA', a Russian syndicate entry for the 1992 America's Cup challenge, was flown in to
San Diego in December of 1991, the same month the Soviet Union was dissolved.
Unfinished, under funded, and mired in internal disputes and legal issues, this boat was soon
abandoned at a San Diego boatyard.
After years of moving from one local yard to another, including several years at our storage facility,
the boat was sold to a Canadian group and moved to Canada.
Yacht / Country : Slovenia ( and Croatia )
Sail Number : SLO - 4
Syndicate : Transoceansko regatno druatvo “Yacoma"
CEO : Bojan Butolen, Ljubo Versic, Neno Kovacevic
Yacht Club: changed from the Galeb Yacht Club in Croatia
to the Maribor Yacht Club in Slovenia
Designer : unknown team and Neno Kovacevic
Boat Builder : “Yacoma” – team, on a place in
the vineyards around Maribor
c.K.Urtz 2012
Only a handful of pictures have been published,
showing her hull of mahogany covered by a white
GFR ( glass fiber reinforced plastic ) deck and
cockpit mould.
http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/01/sports/yachting-despite-civil-
war-croats-and-slovenes-save-their-america-s-cup-
ntry.html?scp=1&sq=yachting%20December%201,%201991&st=
cse
Rudder, keel and the sails are just an
assumption how she could have look like.
The yacht has been built in a hat in the middle of wineyards
close to the land-locked town Maribor / Slovenia.
When the situation became critical, the boat was
transported to Venice in Italy.
18 months later she was found still jacked up in the
courtyard in Venice,filled with tons of rainwater, but not
damaged. Further faith not known.
The famous measurer Ken McAlpine told once a magazine,
that even he has visited this crazy construction site
On December 1, 1991 Barbara Lloyd of the NEW
YORK TIMES wrote a long article about the faith of
Slo-4, an ambitious project of some Croatian and
Slovenian sailors to challenge the AC. It failed at the
end because of the lack of money and time caused
by the Yugoslavian Civil War.
Below the link to this fantastic story
SLO-4 the America’s Cupper of mahogany plywood, which never
touched the sea, but was filled at the end with tons of rainwater.
For several years the Yacht Club of Maribor has published a website on the SLO-4, containing some photos and
an interview with a senior desiger .
http://www.yacht-club-
skipper.si/Regate__potopisi____/America_s_Cup_in_Slovenci/body_america_s_cup_in_slovenci.html
A short translation of my business friend Drazen Servis you will find below.
This is an interview with Neno Kovacevic, shipbuilding engineer. In Spring 1989, in Zgornji Velki, Steiermark,
Ljubo Versic and Bojan Butolen founded Transoceansko regatno druätvo Yacoma" with the idea to join AC. In
August they took as a partner N. Kovacevic and discussed with him the possibility to build a ship according to the AC
rules.ln Autumn 1989 all possible participants had first meeting in premises of International sailing Union IYRU
(now ISAF) in London. They agreed that 4 or 5 "syndicates" will have one representative and with Slovenians were
Spaniards, French, Germans and Fins. Germans and Fins gave up even before Slovenians. Slovenians had the best
cooperation with Japanese and Italian "syndicate". Japanese gave them one of their carbon masts for symbolic price of
USD 1 .With Italians they discussed construction details, especially with famous constructor German Frers and saw
Italian ship "II moro di Venezia" Italians at that time had the biggest budget (120 mil USD) and built several ships.
Slovenian plan was to build 2 ships: one wooden for crew training and, if everything were OK, it would be used as
model for a second made of carbon. First ship was completely built in Zgornji Velki but second one was never finished.
As far as other equipment was concerned, everything was ready. earlier mentioned Japanese mast was in States, all
deck equipment was bought and sails were agreed with other "syndicates". After Germans gave up, as a potential
Sponsor appeared BASF ready to invest quite some money. Problem was that all financial transaction went through
Belgrade and at that time political crises already started and that's why ship was transferred to Italy, so money
went directly to Italy. Second reason was that they started to cooperate with Mr. Cantoni, owner of Italian shipbuilding
Company Vector Marine. lt was just by Chance; they wanted already to give up and went to meeting in Nice to
announce that, but on the way they visited Raul Gardini, boss of Italian team. He mentioned that Cantoni is producing
20 m motor boats and wants them to be used äs a judge boats on AC race. So, he wanted to cooperate with one of
"syndicate" to be included in AC events. Gardini was not interested and that is how Slovenians sorted their project. So,
in September 1991 they moved ship to shipyard near Venice. They covered it with furnir and prepared a lot of
equipment. Transport to States was settled and it would be paid by Gardini, what is one more proof about good
cooperation between teams. Despite all that they ran out of time and money to finish the ship. At that time organization
board calculated that minimal budget is 4,2 mil USD. This figure is nowadays much higher. So, ship remained in the
courtyard of Venice Company. Kovacevic saw it year and a half ago. lt is interesting to mention that weight of body (with
deck and inside construction) was 2,4 tons and in courtyard was supported on both ends. When Kovacevic saw ship,
inside was ca 1 meter of water and this is ca 80 (?) tons. lt would be expected that this load would break a ship,
but it didn't.
c.K.Urtz 2012
AMERICA’S CUP HISTORY 1983 - 2013
