TOPIC:

Just found this new topic index a good idea OFA.
Does everyone remember the euphoria that took over Perth when Australia II won the Americas Cup back in September 1983 (a good month that year).
It was the first time the Yanks had ever been beaten in 132 years or similar and little ol WA was at the forefront.
I was only a young tacker (Year 4 Primary School) but gee it was a good time to be a West Australian and for the next 4 years before Fremantle hosted the event in the Summer of 86/87.
Good times back then, what was everyone doing back in Sep 83?

I was in my 20s working in town and I will always remember walking through the city and seeing people staggering along the street with bottles of champagne, obviously people were not going to be doing a lot of work and it was a surreal atmosphere everywhere. Heady times especially for a Swans supporter enjoying the 2nd premiership of a three peat! This was a bit of a surprise as Swans had to come from the first semi final to do it. First time since 1964 as I recall. The parade when the Australia II crew came home was awesome.

I was leading a most exciting life of just going to work everyday and earning a dollar to pay the bills. Was a special day when A2 crossed the line to win the America's Cup.
We were all watching the tv at work. Quite a few years ago, was in Fremantle one time and visited the waterside museum, before the new one was built. Australia 2 was on display inside. Was well worth going to see.

It still sticks in memory as one of the greatest victories I’ve ever witnessed and if anyone had told me one of the greatest sporting achievements you will witness in your lifetime will be a bloody yacht race I would have said you’re mad.

But it was, it’s hard to explain how and compare the feeling of excitement watching 2 boats jibing and tacking each other and the excitement that builds to see who rounds the bouy first and how many seconds the gap is. It’s ridiculous when you think about it.

It was a best of seven and from memory Liberty was leading 3 - 1 after 4 races so they only needed to win one more to retain the America’s Cup. TBH I can’t remember races 5 and 6 which we won but I do recall we looked out of it by some margin in the last race when both boats tacked in opposite directions looking for the best wind ? (lol popped up on the keyboard), and suddenly the commentators began to realise Australia II was coming back into the race and we passed the bouy in front of Liberty.

Then Dennis Conner through everything at the Aussies tacking one way then the other repetitively and you had to pray that the Aussies didn’t stuff up or there was a gear failure. It was an amazing feeling and I was sleeping on the lounge room floor at my girlfriends parents place in Fremantle appropriately, watching it with the volume as low as possible because these races took place in the early hours of the morning finishing around 3 or 4 am from memory.

It was hard to celebrate trying to be quiet because I was the only one up. I was 20 at the time. I was on a charter boat for the last race in the unsuccessful defence against Stars and Stripes ?? in 1987 and Fremantle was insane. I remember coming back into Fisherman’s Harbour and I kid you not you couldn’t see the limestone rocks along the harbour entrance due to a sea of people taking every vantage point. Same with that restaurant with the big tin roof and slanted windows. The roof was completely covered in people.

What a shame we couldn’t defend it at least once. I reckon if Bondy’s empire wasn’t crumbling he would have mounted a successful defence.

I was 17 and doing my best to sneak in the back door of the Newport Hotel - great time to be around Fremantle.

Yeah it was a shame we couldnt defend the Cup back here in 86/87 DD as the momentum that euphoria built up in WA during the 1980s was somewhat lost thereafter.
From memory Bondys syndicate Australia IV didnt even get the chance to take on Connors Stars And Stripes in the final as the Kevin Parry Syndicate yacht Kookaburra won the right in their match race off and then in turn was defeated by Connors S&S in the AC final.
There was a lot of Americas Cup themed sporting events that took place in Perth/WA in the lead up to that 86/87 AC defence off Fremantle, the Premiers Challenge between Subiaco vs Hawthorn (with an old SD vs CL 1980s rematch as the curtain raiser- won by SD), the AC Cricket Challenge held at the newly lighted WACA between AUS, ENG, PAK & WI, the richest horse race at that stage held in WA for $1 million won by the Laurie Connell owned Fair Sir (who also won the Perth Cup that summer with a horse named Rocket Racer but that is another story), and many other sporting events.

And Carlton won the GF in 87.

Beasley Hutton wrote: Yeah it was a shame we couldnt defend the Cup back here in 86/87 DD as the momentum that euphoria built up in WA during the 1980s was somewhat lost thereafter.
From memory Bondys syndicate Australia IV didnt even get the chance to take on Connors Stars And Stripes in the final as the Kevin Parry Syndicate yacht Kookaburra won the right in their match race off and then in turn was defeated by Connors S&S in the AC final.
There was a lot of Americas Cup themed sporting events that took place in Perth/WA in the lead up to that 86/87 AC defence off Fremantle, the Premiers Challenge between Subiaco vs Hawthorn (with an old SD vs CL 1980s rematch as the curtain raiser- won by SD), the AC Cricket Challenge held at the newly lighted WACA between AUS, ENG, PAK & WI, the richest horse race at that stage held in WA for $1 million won by the Laurie Connell owned Fair Sir (who also won the Perth Cup that summer with a horse named Rocket Racer but that is another story), and many other sporting events.

You’re opening a can of worms now BH when you mention Laurie Connell. That was the Brian Burke era as Premier. Yes the state and the country was bubbling along, literally no doubt a lot of Moët & Chandon went down the gurgler in those heady days. But what was soon to follow was absolute political and corporate carnage with WA INC. and that coincided with huge falls from grace for Alan Bond, Laurie Connell and Kevin Parry who used to strut around like big Roosters.

Beasley Hutton wrote: Just found this new topic index a good idea OFA.
Does everyone remember the euphoria that took over Perth when Australia II won the Americas Cup back in September 1983 (a good month that year).
It was the first time the Yanks had ever been beaten in 132 years or similar and little ol WA was at the forefront.
I was only a young tacker (Year 4 Primary School) but gee it was a good time to be a West Australian and for the next 4 years before Fremantle hosted the event in the Summer of 86/87.
Good times back then, what was everyone doing back in Sep 83?

it transformed old Fremantle basically the entire township revitalised - hosted it pretty well too considering the some of the works weren't quite finished in time , the old timeless Pubs re-invented the old cafe's & pizzerias they all got trendy modern quick
it was hard to get to the esplanade some days & nights it was that crowded
special place in time you had to say you were there to experience

September 1983 was the start of a wonderful 6 or 7 years for Wa.Not only did we win the hardest prize in world sport.We did it from 3-1 down.Amazing stuff and still remember that last race of 7.
Sadly we didn't hold the AC.But it Kickstarted Wà'seconomy.Bondy,Burkey,Connell+Rocket Racer,lol.Was a fantastic time for Wa.
By about 1990 it all fell apart.We had 20% interest rates.Connell broke,Bondy +BB in jail.Boy oh boy did some people make some money in that period of Wa's history.