Cup of cheers

Press, 31 October 1983, Page 48

Cup of cheers

NZPA Perth Cheering crowds hailed Australia’s sporting heroes who won the America’s Cup in a victory parade yesterday through Perth’s main street, Saint Georges Terrace. Thousands of people jammed the heart of Perth to watch the procession of open sports cars carrying the Australia II yacht crew and the syndicate which backed the campaign. Matilda, the giant kangaroo with red boxing gloves, led the parade through the main streets. The syndicate chairman, Alan Bond, and his wife, Eileen, drew most applause

from the crowd and many well-wishers broke from the throng to shake hands with the couple. The Cup, which was mounted in an open maroon Rolls-Royce, was flanked by two security guards. The mammoth parade ended at the esplanade on the banks of the Swan River, for an afternoon of entertainment and a tribute to the victorious team which won yachting’s most elusive prize five weeks ago. The celebrations began yesterday morning with a reception in Alan Bond’s home town, the port of Fremantle, just south of Perth. The cavalcade left the open-air reception at noon and tens of thousands lined the 20km route to Perth to cheer and wave to the victors.