|
1981- 1982
During the winter of 1981 to '82, Dennis Conner decides to pit two designers against each another. Bill Langan of Sparkman & Stephens, designer of Spirit of America US 34 (a heavy displacement boat) and Johan Valentijn, designer of Magic US 38, a light displacement boat.
1982
After the first confrontations between Spirit of America and Magic, it is decided to design a new yacht. Sparkman & Stephens resigns, so Johan Valentijn draws up the new boat. The 1980 defender Freedom is still a competitive benchmark.
Liberty is the first 12-metre not designed by Sparkman & Stephens since 1958 (except 1962). It is the third boat built by the Freedom Campaign '83.
1983
Liberty is launched in January. After initial races against its trial horses, Liberty arouses little enthusiasm. It is undoubtedly faster than Spirit of America, but fails to convincingly beat Freedom.
Liberty has a tendency to dip. This is corrected by modifications to its trim while its stern is shortened by 60cm. The mast and keel are moved forward by the same amount.
The preliminary defender selection trials between Courageous, skippered by John Kolius, Defender, skippered by Tom Blackaller, and Liberty are held in June. The races are stopped as soon as a contender reaches the first mark.
Observation defender trials are held in July. Liberty puts to use its three separate measurement certificates and scores 13 wins and five defeats.
The final defender trials are held in August. Defender is finally outclassed. Courageous improves its speed but Liberty proves quicker.
Friday, September 2, 1983, the New York Yacht Club Committee pick Liberty to defend the America's Cup.
The America's Cup
September 14 to 26, 1983, off Newport, Rhode Island, United States
Liberty competes against the challenger Australia II in the best four of seven race series
Course
Olympic course - total distance: 24 3/10 nautical miles.
Start at America's Cup Buoy anchored 7.9 nautical miles, 150 degrees (magnetic) from the Brenton Reef Light.
Races consist of six legs.
First leg: approximately 4.5-nautical miles, from the starting buoy to windward
Second leg: from the first mark equidistant from the starting buoy and the first mark at a point on the circumference of a circle the diameter of which is the first leg.
The third leg: from the second mark back to the starting buoy.
The fourth leg: from the starting buoy to the first mark
The fifth leg: from the first mark to the starting buoy
The sixth and final leg: from the starting buoy to the first mark.
Results
- September 14, first race. Wind at start: 045°, 18 knots. Wind at finish: 050°, 18 knots. Liberty beats Australia II by one minute and 10 seconds.
- September 15, second race. Wind at start: 030°, 17 knots. Wind at finish: 055°, 10-13 knots. Liberty beats Australia II by one minute and 33 seconds.
- September 18, third race. Wind at start: 225°, 7 knots. Wind at finish: 230°, 10 knots. Australia II beats Liberty by three minutes and 14 seconds.
- September 20, fourth race. Wind at start: 235°, 10 knots. Wind at finish: 235°, 15 knots. Liberty beats Australia II by 43 seconds.
- September 21, fifth race. Wind at start: 190°, 18 knots. Wind at finish: 185°, 16 knots. Australia II beats Liberty by one minute and 47 seconds.
- September 22, sixth race. Wind at start: 340°, 12 knots. Wind at finish: 260-290°, 16-19 knots. Australia II beats Liberty by three minutes and 25 seconds.
- September 26, seventh race. Wind at start: 205°, 8 knots. Wind at finish: 200°, 8 knots. Australia II beats Liberty by 41 seconds.
Australia II beats Liberty by four wins to three
1985 - 1988
The Sail America Foundation owns Liberty. Homeport: Snug Harbor, Hawaii. It is the trial horse for Spirit of America and the different Stars & Stripes of Dennis Conner's 1987 America's Cup campaign.
1988 - 1989
The America's Cup Organising Committee owns Liberty. Its homeport becomes San Diego.
1989
Liberty is sold to a broker in Japan and is bought shortly after by a Japanese yachtsman.
2005
Where is Liberty now? It's a little mystery! Its transom is in the Museum of Yachting, Newport, United States.
Liberty
1983
Sail number: US 40
International 12-metre rule sloop
United States
Yacht club: New York Yacht Club, New York, United States
Unsuccessful defender of the 1983 America's Cup
Owner: Freedom Campaign '83 based at Fort Schuyler, New York, United States, headed by George Jewett
Designers: Johan Valentijn, assisted by Halsey Herreshoff
Tank test facilities: Dutch University of Delph tank basin
Wind tunnel facilities: Boeing laboratory, Seattle, United States
Builder: Newport Offshore Ltd., at Newport, Rhode Island, United States
Sailmakers: North, Sobstad, John Marshal, and Jack Stutphen
Year of building: 1982-83
Launched: January 1983
Homeport: New York
Skipper: Dennis Conner
Afterguard: Tom Whidden as tactician and Halsey Herreshoff as navigator
Crew: 11
Data
Construction: Aluminum Alloy
Dimensions
Length overall (LOA): 19.37m
Length waterline (LWL): 13.62m
Beam: 3.95m
Draft: 2.68m
Sail area: 162m2
Displacement: 24.350 tonnes
Mast: 25m
J.T./nc
|
Year of building
|
|
1983 |
|
Launched
|
1/1983 |
|
|
Edition 25(1983)
|
|
Crew
|
11 |
|
Hull
|
Aluminium |
|
Mast
|
Aluminium |
|
L.O.A
|
19.37 |
|
L.W.L
|
13.62 |
|
Mast
|
25 |
|
Beam
|
3.95 |
|
Boom
|
|
|
Sail Area
|
|
|
Displacament
|
24.35 |
|
Draft
|
2.68 |
|
Rating
|
12 Meter |
|
Ballast
|
|
|
)
