Digital Extra: The Journal's 175th Anniversary

07.21.2004

1983. Australia II knocks the wind right out of Liberty's sails

After the sixth race of the best-of-seven America's Cup competition in Newport in 1983, between the Australia II and the American boat Liberty, an Aussie fan unrolled a flag showing a kangaroo sipping from the Cup.

"It hasn't come to that, not quite," The Journal reported in September 1983. "But after seeing how badly Australia II beat Liberty yesterday -- she won by three minutes and 25 seconds -- one couldn't blame the Aussie rooter for assuming his boat is a cinch to win tomorrow.

"With so much at stake, Australian reporters here say just about everybody in that country will be staying up most of the night, waiting on the results of the race, which will be starting at midnight tomorrow night, Perth time."

The Aussies won that seventh race, and "the unthinkable" had happened, America had lost the Cup after more than a century, and Newport would no longer host the competition. The loss to Rhode Island's economy was estimated in the tens of millions.

"In any case," the paper reported, "the loss of the Cup raises several other questions: Like what do you do with America's Cup Avenue? Or the America's Cup Expo? Or all those T-shirts?"