When Australia II Met Her Destiny - Podcast with Skip Lissiman

Coming up 40 years ago, this 27 September, Australian time, Australia II won the America’s Cup off Newport, Rhode Island.

John Bertrand AO (Skipper), Colin Beashel, Peter Costello, Damien Fewster, Ken Judge, Skip Lissiman, John Longley, Brian Richardson, Phil Smidmore, Grant Simmer, Hugh Treharne Reserves: Will Baillieu, Rob Brown, Sir James Hardy OBE, Scott McAllister. Credit Sport Australia Hall of Fame

It was a close run thing until the very end, with only 41 seconds separating the challenger Australia II and the defending US yacht Liberty at the finish line in the seventh and deciding race.

As the Sport Australia Hall of Fame describes the race –

In the finals, the US yacht Liberty won the first and second races by over a minute – due to Australia II suffering multiple setbacks, including equipment failure – before the Aussies returned fire in the third race, and then – after Liberty had won the fourth – the fifth and sixth, which took the series to a Cup-deciding seventh race – this was the first time the America’s Cup had been gone beyond five races. About 2000 boats turned out to watch the historic seventh race on September 24, however, disappointingly, it had to be abandoned due to unstable weather conditions.

The rescheduled final race was televised live in Australia during the early hours of September 27, 1983. The early stages of the race were cautious as neither team wanted to make a mistake that would result in a protest, and after the Australians started well, Liberty recovered and took the lead. At the start of the penultimate leg (a square run), it looked as though the Cup would stay in Newport yet again, however, two vital differences on this leg let Australia II regain the lead – her spinnaker was set and held better than Liberty, and she was able to find a few extra lifts of wind that eluded her rival. Australia II held on until both boats reached the starboard layline in amongst the spectator fleet and tacked several boat lengths ahead of Liberty before sailing to the finish to take the race by 41 seconds, thus becoming the first successful challenger in the 132 years since the schooner boat America won it in a race around England’s Isle of Wight.

It was just before dawn in Australia and, as Australians celebrated the victory in public venues across the country, Australia’s Prime Minister, Bob Hawke was interviewed at the celebration at Royal Perth YC when, after he had humorously fended off repeated questions from journalists wondering whether he would declare a public holiday, he joked that “any boss who sacks a worker for not turning up today is a bum!” which was met with rapturous laughter.

Australians celebrated, and in many ways still are celebrating this famous sporting victory!

The winged keel of Australia II has become part of Aussie folklore.

Skip Lissiman and the winged keel. Credit Michael Barker, Fremantle Shipping News

And opening on 9 September 2023, Fremantle’s Maritime Museum is putting on a gala Australia II 40 Years On exhibition, which will run through 4 February 2024. You won’t want to miss it.

Today, our Editor, Michael Barker, had the good fortune to catch up with Skip Lissiman, the port trimmer on Australian II the day she met her destiny, to make the podcast below. Skip discusses THAT day reliving the last leg, what went into winning the America’s Cup, what victory meant to Australia at the time and what it means today looking back. It’s an interview that will well and truly whet your appetite for the 40 Years On exhibition.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE –