America's Cup 1980, FREEDOM and AUSTRALIA competing
Date1980
Object numberANMS0061
NameArchive series
MediumTransparency
ClassificationsPhotographs
Credit LineANMM Collection Louis D'Alpuget
DescriptionThis archive series consists of eight 35mm colour transparencies of the 1980 America's Cup campaign collected by yachting journalist Lou d'Alpuget. It includes the American yacht FREEDOM and the Australian challenger AUSTRALIA at Newport, Rhode Island.HistoryIn 1848 Queen Victoria instigated the creation of a golden cup, known as the 'One Hundred Guinea Cup' to be awarded for a yacht race. The competition would be open to all nations. In the inaugural race on 22 August 1851- held in conjunction with the Great Exhibition - the United States built schooner AMERICA challenged 16 British vessels in the 85 kilometre race around the Isle of Wight.
Designed by New York Yacht Club member George Steers, for Commodore John Cox Stevens, the schooner yacht AMERICA was built as a deliberate challenge to the British designed vessels that were dominating the sport of yachting.
The AMERICA was triumphant, and the ornate One Hundred Guinea Cup became known as the America's Cup thereafter. It was not until 1983 that a challenger would take the cup from the New York Yacht Club - the AUSTRALIA II of the Royal Perth Yacht Club skippered by John Bertrand. America's 132-year winning streak was finally broken. The competition is still in operation today and one of the most respected and prestigious sailing competitions to be held in the world.
Mr Lou d'Alpuget (1915-2006) was a notable yachting writer and broadcaster whose career in journalism and writing spanned almost 71 years. He sailed skiffs at aged 12, by 17 was a Bondi lifesaver and by 18 a championship surfboat rower. He also excelled at wrestling, water polo, boxing and blue-water yachting. In 1935 he began writing yachting articles for the Sunday Sun newspaper while studying chemical engineering.
During World War II he served in the Australian Armed Services, initially in the army until he transferred to the navy and skippered an anti-submarine boat TOPSY patrolling the Pacific. At the end of the war d'Alpuget's front page coverage of the inaugural Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in The Daily Telegraph diverted a war weary population. He sailed in the race four times and continued to cover the race for decades. D'Alpuget reported on international ocean racing including Australia's first America's Cup campaign with GRETEL in 1962 and the Admiral's Cup.
D'Alpuget obtained an exclusive interview with Sir Francis Chichester in Bass Strait in 1966 by approaching GIPSY MOTH IV in a fishing trawler and launching a dinghy to deliver a bag of onions and a bottle of whiskey. His first book 'Let's Go Sailing' was published in 1960. This was followed by regular newspaper columns and the publication of 'Yachting in Australia' in 1980.
D'Alpuget's books Include 'Sydney's Beaches' (1951), 'Let's Go Sailing' (1952), 'Successful Sailing' (1970 1972, 1973, 1974, 1981), 'Learn To Sail' (1989), 'Yachting In Australia' (1980, 1988), joint authorship (with Bob Ross) of 'Boating For Beginners' (1974), and contributing authorship of 'Complete Book Of Boating' (1972). He also wrote for many newspapers and magazines, including The Daily Telegraph, The Referee, The Sunday Telegraph, Pix, People, Sporting Life, The Sun, Modern Boating, Australian Sailing and Australian Yachting.