Australians go behind ‘enemy lines’

Press, 27 July 1989, Page 29

Australians go behind ‘enemy lines’

NZPA-AAP Cowes. Australia has gone behind “enemy lines” to try to beat New Zealand in the 1989 Admiral’s Cup yachting series that starts off Cowes today (early N.Z. time). Two of the three Australian boats will be under the influence of New Zealanders as Australia tries to win the event for the first time in 10 years. New Zealand is the defending champion having won the sixteenth Admiral’s Cup in 1987. The Australian challenge is led by one tonners True Blue, from Western Australia and Victoria’s Joint Venture, which are labelled by the ■ manager, Peter Bourke, as the fastest 40footers in the 42-strong Admiral’s fleet. True Blue, the top boat from the Australian Cup

trials, will be skippered by New Zealand’s Chris Dickson. Joint Venture, whose designer, Bruce Farr, describes as being “bred” for Admiral’s Cup conditions, will have the 1984 Finn class gold medallist for New Zealand, Russell Courts, as tactician with the skipper, Colin Beashel. The biggest boat in the Australian team is the 43ft Madeline’s Daughter (N.S.W.), which was skippered in the trials by Peter Gilmore but has the 1987 America’s Cup defender, lain Murray, behind the wheel in Cowes. Gilmore has committed himself to Alan Bond’s maxi campaign. All three yachts, are Farr designs, which gives them something in common with the New Zealand, Norway and the United States teams. '