The America’s Cup

The America’s Cup is the most famous and the most prestigious sailing regatta. It is also the oldest active trophy in international sport, predating the Modern Olympics by 45 years, and is considered the “Holy Grail” of yachting.

The cup was originally known as the Royal Yacht Squadron cup and it, along with a sum of 100 Sovereigns was the prize for the 1851 Annual Regatta around the Isle of Wight. Though she started last, the schooner America won the race against 15 British yachts by 20 minutes. When America emerged alone from a fog near the finish, Queen Victoria asked who was second; the famous answer: “There is no second, your Majesty.”

In 1857 the American syndicate donated the cup to the New York Yacht Club to be held in trust as a challenge trophy to “promote friendly competition among nations.” Despite a succession of British (and other) attempts to win back the cup, the New York Yacht Club prevailed in 25 challenges over 113 years, the longest winning streak in the history of sport. Finally, in 1983, Australian businessman Alan Bond beat Dennis Conner and the cup left the United States for the first time in 132 years. But Dennis Conner refused to quit and in 1987 he challenged Australia for the San Diego Yacht club and became the first and only skipper to win, lose and win back the America’s Cup.

Stars & Stripes, USA-11

In 1992 the International America’s Cup Class (IACC) of yachts was introduced, replacing the 12-meter class that had been used since 1958. Designed by David Pedrick and Bruce Nelson and built by Eric Goetz in Rhode Island, Stars & Stripes, USA-11 was Dennis Conner’s first IACC boat. Unfortunately, Conner was outspent nearly 10 to 1 by billionaire Bill Koch and lost in the finals of the Defense Series (the Citizens Cup) to America3.

USA-11 was used by Dennis Conner in his 1995 campaign as a trial horse and then sold to the US Virgin Islands America’s Cup Challenge to be used in the 2000 America’s Cup races. After surviving several hurricanes, including one that sunk her, USA-11 was purchased in 2002, shipped to Miami to be completely refurbished and then sent across the country to be part of the San Francisco Challenge Series fleet. In 2006, Steve Pattison and Mark Niblack bought her and brought her home to San Diego.