AC Uncovered - 25 - Australia: Challenger Turned Defender
Posted on 11 February 2012
This week we get an Australian perspective on the 25th anniversary of the 26th America's Cup.
Australia was only the third nation ever to challenge for the America's Cup when they took on the New York Yacht Club in 1962. On their seventh attempt, Australia achieved the unthinkable. The historic win meant the America's Cup was leaving the USA for the first time in 132 years and heading to a new home in the southern hemisphere. Australia was now the defender.
We catch up with Iain Murray, Skipper of Kookaburra III in 1987 and current Regatta Director of the 34th America's Cup. Iain looks back and then looks forward to the first competitors forum of 2012 in Auckland.
While in New Zealand we catch up with Luna Rossa Challenge to hear about their progress on their new AC45.
Then we profile the world's number one sailor, Ben Ainslie, who will bring his own team, Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR), to the America's Cup World Series after the 2012 London Olympic Games this summer.