America's Cup- Marking the 20th anniversary of Team NZ's win + Video

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com on 12 May 2015 May 14 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of Team New Zealand's win in the 1995 America's Cup which became one of the milestone achievements in New Zealand sport.

Bob Fisher, long time follower of the America's Cup and possibly the world’s most travelled yachting journalist, overviews Team New Zealand 5-0 victory over Team Stars and Stripes, NZ's Boating World magazine.

Blackwash

Total superiority and total control gave Team New Zealand the America's Cup. Not even the might of Dennis Conner and his star-studded crew in the best boat the Americans could provide were a match for the quietly confident, overwhelming team of Kiwis. They took the Cup by five races to none and there was never any time when the defenders looked remotely like taking even a single race. It was a whitewash by a black boat.

It was a demonstration of technological superiority and man management of the highest order. To beat the world's greatest technological nation in what has always been an arms race displayed a firepower advantage that has been deliberately created over the past ten years, from the time that the 12-Metre Kiwi Magic first turned heads at Freemantle.

But where Team New Zealand really scored was in the management of the operation. It produced a fully cohesive effort that was as smooth as silk. The management was fully integrated, yet it revolved around one man, Peter Blake. His previous achievements not only break down the boardroom doors and give him one-to-one access with the men who will produce the money, but they command the respect of his peer group. Blake has led his team in a remarkable manner to a remarkable victory.

Had they not named their boats Black Magic I & II, Relentless and Remorseless would have been apt - those words best describe a campaign that was on the right lines from the word `Go' right though to the ultimate victory. It allowed few cheers in the early stages; but in their finest hour, most of its principals, including Blake, were reduced to a laughing, cheering, weeping, giggling horde by Moet's magnificent bubbles- on the crest of the wave of delight.

Black Magic was a simple boat with nothing about her that looked as if it would produce any drag. The appendages were what might have been described as `ordinary', except that they were smaller and so allowed the boat to stall out of tacks; but as Doug Peterson remarked, 'There has to be some slight downside to give away for such good speed.'

The rig, however, was slightly remarkable. It was further back in the boat than any of the others, and this allowed Black Magic to have reasonable weather helm without needing any rake in the mast. That, in turn, allowed rigging to be set up harder and the sails to be cut a fraction flatter. Because of this Black Magic pointed higher than Young America by as much as two or even three degrees; and there is no answer to pointing particularly if it is backed by footing faster. That was the advantage Black Magic had - superiority in both departments.

Superiority was derived from the Blake master plan which demanded much of the crew and those who looked after the boats ashore. They toiled long hours for relatively low wages - this was not a campaign which could afford big-moneyed luxury. The team was unified in its desire to win, to achieve a victory that would wipe out all the pain of previous defeats and prove that they were the best in the world.

To see the 12 minute documentary put together by Greg Pearson of 3News click here

And for the first of an excellent two part series by Dana Johannsen in the NZ Herald click here

Below we had presented a two hour documentary on the 1995 series - please excuse some audio and video noise - the original video is of course 20 years old, and before the days of wide screen TV's - hence the square frame.

For reasons evident below we can no longer show this video, neither can we be bothered in a legal discussion as to whether we do have that right. However if you search Youtube.com for America's Cup 95 you will see a link to the video which used to be here (nothing to do with Sail-World.com or those associated with Sail-World.com).



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