25th AMERICA's CUP 1983 Newport, Rhode Island, USA
The American challengers built 11 new yachts and used some older 12-m as trial boats,
The USA and the Louis Vuitton Cup 1987
25th AMERICA's CUP 1983 Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Yacht / Country : Eagle / US-60 /USA
Syndicate : Eagle Challenge
CEO : Gary Thomson
Yacht Club: Newport Harbor Yacht Club
Designer : : Johan Valentijn, J. Sloof
Boat Builder : Williams and Manchester
Skipper: Rod Davis
Eagle / US-60 /USA and the Louis Vuitton Cup 1987
The Eagle Challenge Foundation purchased the 1983
contender Magic. Her designers J.Valentijn and J. Sloof
fitted her with a keel similar to Australia II.
After extensive trials supported by Chrysler and Boeing
technicians they designed Eagle / US-60.
Before the Round Robin 3 of the LVC her keel was
drastically changed.
Instead of a keel appendage with thick wings she got a
wide and slightly downward shaped bulb like a
surfboard.
This keel looked like more that of US-61 than the
Australia II pattern.
After RR 3 she landed on ranking 10. Very soon she was
scrapped of her outfit which was used as spare parts
for other 12-ms.
An attempt to reconstruct the grimy looking eagle from 3 image fragments
Her wide and flat bulb was shaped like a surf-board.
The Eagle Challenge Foundation purchased the 1983
contender Magic. Her designers J.Valentijn and J. Sloof
Yacht / Country : America II
Syndicate : America II Challenge
CEO : Rieh De Vos
Yacht Club: : New York Yacht Club
Designer : Bill Langan (Sparkman & Stephens)
Boat Builder : Williams and Manchester
Skipper: John Kolius;
The NYYC and the syndicate ordered 3 new yachts, all
called America II but carried 3 different sail numbers.
US-42 was the first !2m which has been sent by the NYYC
to Fremantleas trial boat.
Because of her concept to modify her easily she got
thenickname LEGO as the known Danish interlocking
blocks.
US-44 and US-46 arrived later in Fremantle.
US-46 was nominated as official team challenger. She
reached ranking 55 after the 3 Round Robins with 128
accounts and missed the semifinal against the 4th place of
French Kiss with 129 points.
It was said, that the club spent 15 mio U$ for this ampaign.
The wings look like the
pectoral fins of a shark.
The winged keel was painted with camouflage patterns
to hide its shape when the yacht was heeling, with the
keel coming up.
US-42 America II and the Louis Vuitton Cup 1987
US-42 was the first !2m which has been sent by the NYYC
to Fremantleas trial boat.
The “Whomper” in action
US-42 was later converted to the 12m “Geronimo” the main
yacht in the movie “Wind”, released 1992.
Carroll Ballard were the director, and Francis Ford Coppola the
executive producer.
The boat was skippered by the Cup veteran and now
technical adviser Peter Gilmour.
The sailing actions of one of the best sailing movies have been
shot in the Indian Ocean around Fremantle, Australia. The
movie tells in a fictive love story and unforgettable sailing
actions about Dennis Conner’s challenge for the AC 1987.
Remarkable was the so called “Whomper” a huge masthead
spinnaker with the grimy asking face of the Indian chief
Geronimo. Such a sail was never used in an AC or LVC and
stressed the mast and the back-stays quite hard.
The superb movie “Wind” is still offered as a DVD in various
languages
US-42 was later converted to the 12m “Geronimo”
the main yacht in the movie “Wind”, released 1992.
ier
© San Diego Boat Movers *http://sandiegoboatmovers.com/
* San Diego Boat Movers
comment :
We transported this retired 12
meter A/C boat to Wendover,
NV to be used in the movie, '
Wind,'
about a fictional 'under-dog'
America's Cup challenge team.
The boat was painted in an air-
plane hangar in Wendover and
was re-named Geronimo.
25th AMERICA's CUP 1983 Newport, Rhode Island, USA
,
Yacht / Country : Heart of America / US-51
Syndicate : : Heart of America Challenge
CEO : Alan Johnston
Yacht Club: Chicago Yacht Club.
Designers : Gretzky, Graham, MacLane,
Schlageter
Boat Builder : Merrifield-Roberts
Skipper: Buddy Melges
Heart of America / US-51 represented by the
Chicago YC has been supported by the
Chrysler Corporation.
On the wings’ end she had small clippers.
The Australian Royal Perth YC claimed that the
Chicago YC is neither on the sea nor on a sea
arm and asked the Supreme Court of New York
for a ruling that the challenge of above YC from
the Great Lakes conforms with the Deed of
Gift.
It did as the club had organized a sea regatta
on the coast.
Heart of America reached ranking 8 after RR3
of the LVC.
Heart of America / US-51 and the Louis Vuitton Cup 1987
The Australian Royal Perth YC claimed that the
Chicago YC is neither on the sea nor on a sea
arm
25th AMERICA's CUP 1983 Newport, Rhode Island, USA
Yacht / Country : Courageous IV / US-26 / USA
Syndicate : The Courageous Challenge
CEO : Leonard Greene
Yacht Club: : Yale Corinthian Yacht Club
Designer : Leonard Greene and Roger
Marshall
Boat Builder :
Skipper: Dave Vietor
Courageous IV / US-26 / and the Louis Vuitton Cup 1987
The America’s Cup winner of 1974 and
1977 has been heavily redesigned and
nominated as Courageous IV by the
Yale Corinthian YC representing The
Courageous Challenge.
Her strange keel designed by Leonard
Greene carried a mighty bulb on the
keel’s nose and ended in 2 thick wing-
romps on the fin’s sides.
Courageous IV was really outclassed and
has been already withdrawn from the last
ranking of 13 after Round Robin 1 (RR 1).
The America’s Cup winner of 1974 and
1977 has been heavily redesigned and
25th AMERICA's CUP 1983 Newport, Rhode Island, USA
US-49 /Design 181 / Hull M 200 and the Louis Vuitton Cup 1987
© Geoffy Molnar
US-49 was designed and built as entry yacht of the Golden Gate Challenge for the AC in Fremantle.
US-49 was designed and built as entry yacht of the Golden Gate Challenge for the AC in Fremantle.
She was sailed as test boat by Tom Blackaller as skipper, Paul Cayard as tactician and an experienced crew in the San
Francisco Bay. In the meantime Gary Mull designed the USA-R1, sail-number 12 USA 61, the yacht with the slim keel-fin,
the attached torpedo-shaped bulb and the canard rudder close to the bow.
USA – 61 became finally the official challenger of the St. Francis YC.(see also the main page: AC 1987).
The last owner of US-49 the naval architect, marine designer and metalworker Geoff Molnar tried in
vain to sell the hull and was forced to scrap it in 2008. He documented this destruction on a website,
which shows her sophisticated construction in aluminium alloy. It contains also the rare image of
a winged keel (below) and a more detailed history of this 12 m yacht. The small plan, traces Gary
Mulls sail plan drawings .The lines plan he made from carefully measuring his boat. You will hardly find many
of such historical documents of a 12m AC yacht in the Internet:
AMERICA’S CUP HISTORY 1983 - 2013
