{"id":4411,"date":"2012-09-25T16:54:53","date_gmt":"2012-09-25T21:54:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/?p=4411"},"modified":"2012-09-25T16:54:53","modified_gmt":"2012-09-25T21:54:53","slug":"day-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/?p=4411","title":{"rendered":"ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-4411 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-thumbnail'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/1983026.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/1983026-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-4413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/1983026-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/1983026-48x48.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-4413'>\n\t\t\t\tFINISH OF THE FINAL RACE 1983\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/australia-II-bob344.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/australia-II-bob344-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-4414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/australia-II-bob344-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/australia-II-bob344-48x48.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-4414'>\n\t\t\t\tBEN LEXAN AND HIS KEEL\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/k6038.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/k6038-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-4415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/k6038-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/k6038-48x48.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-4415'>\n\t\t\t\tAUSTRALIA II\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/liberty319.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/liberty319-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-4416\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/liberty319-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/liberty319-48x48.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-4416'>\n\t\t\t\tLIBERTY\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/liberty695.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/liberty695-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-4417\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/liberty695-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/liberty695-48x48.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-4417'>\n\t\t\t\tLIBERTY BEFORE THE FINAL RACE\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/marble-house-1983-5-280.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/marble-house-1983-5-280-150x150.jpg\" class=\"attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-4418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/marble-house-1983-5-280-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/marble-house-1983-5-280-48x48.jpg 48w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-4418'>\n\t\t\t\tMARBLE HOUSE \n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY<br \/>\nThe date, 25 September 1983, remains vivid in the memories of Australians<br \/>\nwho watched &#8211; perched on the edge of their sofas, thrusting into the air<br \/>\npunches of elation &#8211; as Australia II crossed the America&#8217;s Cup finishing<br \/>\nline at Newport, USA.<\/p>\n<p>It was one of those events where you can remember what you were doing at<br \/>\nthe precise moment they saw or heard the good news. And, it moved then<br \/>\nPrime Minister Bob Hawke enough to famously declare: &#8220;Any boss who sacks<br \/>\nanyone for not turning up today is a bum.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Australians love the water, but yachting is not a spectator sport for the<br \/>\nmasses. Why then, did the win have such an enormous impact?<\/p>\n<p>John Bertrand, skipper of Australia II and now chairman of the Sport<br \/>\nAustralia Hall of Fame, says the many superb performances by Australians &#8211;<br \/>\nnotably Cathy Freeman&#8217;s gold medal sprint in the Sydney Olympics and Kieran<br \/>\nPerkins&#8217; win from lane 8 at the Atlanta Olympics &#8211; make it difficult to<br \/>\nchoose the ultimate achievement in Australian sporting history.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We broke 132 years of American domination in winning the America&#8217;s Cup &#8211;<br \/>\nwe&#8217;re proud of that!&#8221; says John.<\/p>\n<p>It was a glow that was shared by many in the country, and more people chose<br \/>\nto become naturalised Australians shortly after the win, than ever before<br \/>\nor since. John says; &#8220;People felt part of this country for the first time.<br \/>\nCertainly there was a great injection of both pride and confidence into the<br \/>\ncountry.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>What about the controversy surrounding the secret weapon that gave the<br \/>\nAustralian yacht its advantage over its American competitor &#8211; the upside<br \/>\ndown, winged keel?<\/p>\n<p>There has been a perennial argument over whether Australia II should have<br \/>\nbeen disqualified because the rules specified that competing yachts had to<br \/>\nbe designed by residents or citizens of the country they represented. The<br \/>\nAmericans alleged, but couldn&#8217;t prove, the boat was not<br \/>\nAustralian-designed. Then, in 2009, Dutch boat designer Peter van Oossanen<br \/>\nclaimed Australian II designer, Ben Lexcen, had minimal involvement in the<br \/>\nkeel&#8217;s design, and a Dutch team were the true designers.<\/p>\n<p>John claims it&#8217;s a technicality. &#8220;Success has many fathers; failure has<br \/>\nnone,&#8221; he says. &#8220;To win the Cup required a great deal of work by many<br \/>\npeople, but in terms of any controversy, the key was [that] Ben Lexcen was<br \/>\nthe chief designer. So under the rules, Australia II was totally legal. Of<br \/>\ncourse, the America&#8217;s Cup rules now don&#8217;t even consider nationality.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Today, Australia II calls home the Western Australian Maritime Museum in<br \/>\nFremantle.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY The date, 25 September 1983, remains vivid in the memories of Australians who watched &#8211; perched on the edge of their sofas, thrusting into the air punches of elation &#8211; as Australia II crossed the America&#8217;s Cup finishing line at Newport, USA. It was one of those events where you &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/?p=4411\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[40],"tags":[2397,1459,987,1460],"class_list":["post-4411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-americas-cup","tag-americas-cup","tag-australia-ii","tag-dennis-connor","tag-john-bertrand"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4411"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4420,"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4411\/revisions\/4420"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stephenlirakis.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}