1980 America's Cup

The 1980 America's Cup was held in September 1980 at Newport, Rhode Island. The US defender, Freedom, skippered by Dennis Conner, defeated the Australian challenger, Australia, skippered by James Hardy,^[1] four races to one. This was the last successful defense of the cup by the New York Yacht Club and the last defender designed by the naval architectural firm Sparkman & Stephens. It was the sixth unsuccessful challenge by Australia and the third by Alan Bond.

24th America's Cup

Freedom
Defender  United States
Defender club:	New York Yacht Club
Yacht:	Freedom
Challenger  Australia
Challenger club:	Royal Perth Yacht Club
Yacht:	Australia
Competition
Location:	Newport, Rhode Island, United States
Dates:	September 1980
Rule:	12-metre
Winner:	New York Yacht Club
Score:	4–1
← 1977 1983 →

Freedom had beaten Courageous and Clipper to become the defender. Australia had beaten France III, Lionheart and Sverige to become the challenger.^[2]

Crew

Freedom's crew included skipper Dennis Conner, navigator Halsey Herreshoff, tactician Dennis Durgan, trimmer John Marshall, grinders Rives Potts and Kyle Smith, mastman Robert "Bobbie" Campbell, pitman Donald Kohlmann, bowman Lexi Gahagan, Jonathan Wright and Tom Whidden.^[3]

Australia's crew included skipper James Hardy, Noel Robins, tactician Ben Lexcen, port trimmer John Bertrand, Scott McAllister, John Longley and Kenneth Judge.^[4][5][6]

Results

Team	16 September 1980	19 September 1980	21 September 1980	23 September 1980	25 September 1980	Pts
Freedom	W	+0:28	W	W	W	4
Australia	+1:58	W	+1:53	+3:48	+3:38	1

1st match	16 September 1980	Freedom	Dennis Conner						W	Report
		Australia	James Hardy						+1:58

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2nd match	19 September 1980	Freedom	Dennis Conner						+0:28	Report
		Australia	James Hardy						W

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3rd match	21 September 1980	Freedom	Dennis Conner						W	Report
		Australia	James Hardy						+1:53

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4th match	23 September 1980	Freedom	Dennis Conner						W	Report
		Australia	James Hardy						+3:48

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5th match	25 September 1980	Freedom	Dennis Conner						W	Report
		Australia	James Hardy						+3:38

References

1. "James Hardy". ACCyclopedia. Retrieved January 30, 2012.^{[permanent dead link]}
2. "Storia della Coppa America 1980" (in Italian). Archived from the original on January 2, 2013. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
3. "THE CREW - The Washington Post". The Washington Post.
4. "Hall of Fame".
5. "Storia della Coppa America 1980" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 January 2013. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
6. Bertrand, John Born to win : a lifelong struggle to capture the America's Cup (as told to Patrick Robinson). Sydney : Bantam Books, c1985. ISBN 0-553-05118-0. p.65