ADMIRAL’S CUP 50TH ANNIVERSARY REGATTA
Below: Alan Payne
designs Fare Thee
Well and Lorita
Maria were part of
an anniversary fleet
of Cup participants
and others on
Sydney HarbourT
hings move on so fast that today’s young
sailors may have to ask what the Admiral’s
Cup was all about, but for half a century it
was known as the unofficial world
championship of offshore racing. While
interest in the Cup may have waned, a regatta in Sydney
Harbour in December brought back the great excitement
of the Cup, with a magnificent gathering of 21 boats thatcompeted in or were associated with the event over the
years. Sailing in the regatta and taking part in the
activities ashore was a reminder of how great the
Admiral’s Cup was and how significant its influence on
yacht design and racing has been.
The Admiral’s Cup was held on 23 occasions, each
time based in Cowes, between 1957 and 2003, biennially
apart from 2001. It was competed for by three-boat