Australia II wins again
NZPA-Reuter Newport, Rhode Island Australia II beat the British yacht Victory ’B3 by one minute 54 seconds today after trailing for the first two hours of her race to take the lead in the America’s Cup challengers’ semi-finals. Victory ’B3 seemed on the way to a big upset over Australia 11, now the only unbeaten yacht with a 3-0 record, but was caught on the wrong side of two big wind shifts. In the other race on Rhode Island Sound, the Italian boat Azzurra overcame an early lead by Canada I and eventually won by eight minutes and 53 seconds, the widest margin of victory for any challenging yacht. Australia II has been all
but unbeatable in the summer’s races, but protests over its controversial winged keel claim that it might not be a legal 12metre boat. It hit the starting line too early yesterday and was 45 seconds behind the British boat when it restarted. Victory ’B3 stretched the lead to nearly two minutes at the third mark of the full 24.3 mile America’s Cup course. The first wind shift, however, cost Victory ’B3 most of the lead and the second shift, on the fifth leg, put the Australian yacht ahead for good. Canada I led by 20 seconds at the first turning mark and was still up by eight seconds at the completion of the first triangle, but on the fourth leg it fell into an area of almost no wind
which the Italian boat managed to avoid. Azzurra led by over four minutes at the fifth mark and, sailing into a fresher breeze first, doubled the margin on the final leg. Azzurra will race Victory ’B3 today and Australia 11, the odds-on favourite to win the right to challenge for the cup, will sail against Canada I.
The final American trials to choose the defending yacht will start today with Defender opposing Courageous. Liberty, the boat tipped to win the American trials, will race Courageous on Wednesday. The deadline for choosing the defender and challenger for the cup is September 8 and the America’s Cup match itself is due to begin on September 13.
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Press, 17 August 1983, Page 44
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361Australia II wins again Press, 17 August 1983, Page 44
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