1987 Defender Selection Series
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1987 Defender Selection Series Fremantle, Western Australia |
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|---|---|
| Date | 18 October 1986 – 20 January 1987 |
| Number of Yachts | 8 |
| Coordinates | 31°57′9.0″S 115°38′48.12″E / 31.952500°S 115.6467000°ECoordinates: 31°57′9.0″S 115°38′48.12″E / 31.952500°S 115.6467000°E |
| Winner | Kookaburra III |
The 1987 Defender Selection Series was raced between four syndicates competing for the right to represent the Royal Perth Yacht Club as the defender of the America's Cup. Kookaburra III won the series and advanced to the 1987 America's Cup. However, they failed to defend the cup from the challenge of Stars & Stripes 87.
The highest profile syndicate was the professional and well funded Alan Bond group which had won the 1983 Cup and which had a wealth of experience, having been to Newport as challengers in 1974, 1977, 1980 and 1983. The team won the 1986 World 12-metre championships in convincing style with Australia III. Close Bond associate Warren Jones was the syndicate director and veteran 12-Metre helmsman John Longley managed the day-to-day business. Four helmsmen were used in rotation: Colin Beashel, Hugh Treharne, Gordon Lucas and Carl Ryves, with Beashel taking the skipper role in the finals. Beashel and Treharne had extensive previous 12-Metre experience.
Australia II's skipper John Bertrand had published a controversial biography in mid-1985 titled Born to Win which, according to the book, told how he was almost predestined to win the Cup, and it was his motivational skills which were largely responsible for victory. The apparent self-promotion caused Bertrand to become out of favour with the Bond syndicate and he had minimal involvement with the 1987 defence other than as a media commentator.
Two sister boats to Australia II were built, Australia III (KA-9) which was launched on 27 September 1985 and much later Australia IV (KA-16).Australia III's launch was a stage managed event with a lavish ceremony at Royal Perth Yacht Club which included Bond's wife Eileen naming the boat. It was built at Cottesloe by boatbuilder Stephen Ward and designed by Ben Lexcen, the same team which had produced Australia II. The launch culminated in a sedate sail in the Swan River watched by thousands of spectators on the river foreshore.
The South Australian government provided a $1M subsidy to a syndicate of businessmen led by Adelaide advertising executive Roger Lloyd who contracted Lexcen to design a boat called South Australia (KA-8). The group included support from 150 companies. For $600,000 the group received a new boat which was also built at Ward's boatyard with a similar design to Australia II. As well as design and construction, the syndicate had also contracted with the Australia II team to provide basic crew training. As soon as South Australia was launched, trials between it and Australia II were held and the results considered before the design of Australia III was finalised.
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