Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2024 - One Design

Shirley Robertson talks with 1983 America's Cup winner John Bertrand

by Shirley Robertson 27 Sep 2022 06:21 BST 27 September 2022
Media conference at the State Armoury moderated by press officer, Leonard Panaggio - 1983 America's Cup - Newport RI © Paul Darling Collection

The fourth Series of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast starts in emphatic fashion as double Olympic gold medallist Robertson sits down with the skipper of the America's Cup's first ever successful Challenger, Australian John Bertrand.

[Scroll down to listen online.]

It was exactly thirty nine years ago that Bertrand, skippering "Australia II" in Newport, crossed the finish line ahead of Dennis Connor's Defending "Liberty", to end the New York Yacht Club's one hundred and thirty two year winning streak.

For the sport of sailing, it provoked a seismic shift in international competition, for the then thirty six year old Bertrand, competing in his fourth Cup, it was totally life changing.

"It was Everest, it was the four minute mile. No one had ever got through that invisible barrier, the Everest of not only sailing, but of sport. The America's Cup started before the American Civil War, it's remarkable...it was the Everest of sport that was there and was the fascination to many many entrepreneurs, including us Australians."

Robertson and Bertrand begin their chat with talk of destiny as Bertrand discusses how his great grandfather, who was an engineer in Southampton, was involved in the building of two of Sir Thomas Lipton's Shamrock America's Cup yachts. The easy flowing conversation takes in Bertrand's Olympic campaigning, the pair share the unenviable position of both having finished an Olympic campaign in fourth place, before chat inevitably turns to the America's Cup campaign of 1983.

Sailing for the Australian business tycoon Alan Bond, Bertrand lifts the lid on a campaign that ultimately led to the design and build of one of the most controversial yachts to have sailed around an America's Cup race course...:

"Benny (Lexcen) then showed us the wing keeled boat and I thought 'oh my god, just give us an equal boat and we'll play the game', .....anyway we went sailing the first day over at Freemantle, and it was just unbelievable, the boat could spin on it's axis relative to a conventional boat."

Whether familiar with the sporting details of the 1983 America's Cup or not, Bertrand's interview with Robertson is a fascinating and revealing insight into what it took to end the unprecedented one hundred and thirty two year winning streak, told by one of sailing's great story tellers...:

"The full significance (of what we had done) really only became apparent when we got home, and still is...The country stopped...you could not buy a bottle of champagne in Australia the day after the America's Cup.

"In a survey recently, the most memorable events in modern Australian history, John F Kennedy's assassination, Armstrong on the moon and Australia II crossing the finishing line."

This is a fascinating exchange, as Bertrand discusses all manner of stories, from the pre-race words to the team from backer Alan Bond, to his relationship, post 1983, with defeated Defender Dennis Connor.

The events of September 1983 are now sailing folk lore, but to hear them directly from the man in charge of the America's Cup's first ever successful Challenger is truly inspiring.

An America's Cup Hall of Famer, one of the most decorated sailors of all time, Olympic medalist and multiple world champion, Bertrand's chat with Robertson extends well beyond the 1983 America's Cup, and is a revealing and engaging insight into the life and mind of one of Australia's greatest ever sporting icons.

This edition of the podcast is in two parts and is available to listen to via the podcast page of Shirley’s own website - www.shirleyrobertson.com/podcast or via most popular podcast outlets, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcast and aCast.

The podcast is produced and written by Tim Butt - for further enquires, please contact .

Part 1:

Part 2:

Related Articles

Shirley Robertson: The Barcelona Debrief
ETNZ's Nathan Outteridge & Ray Davies, and INEOS' Bleddyn Mon & Dylan Fletcher Shirley Robertson talks to port side helm Nathan Outteridge, and sailing team coach Ray Davies (both ETNZ), to discuss how the Cup was won. She also talks to Challenger INEOS Britannia's port side helm Dylan Fletcher and starboard trimmer Bleddyn Mon. Posted on 1 Nov
Shirley Robertson talks with key Cup players
Robertson talks to representatives from all six of the Cup teams to get a real insight Robertson talks to representatives from all six of the Cup teams, chatting to team members with a wide range of roles, to get a real insight from across the fleet into what to expect come race day. Posted on 21 Jul
Shirley Robertson talks with Murray Jones
Shirley Robertson talking to NZ's Murray Jones about a remarkable career spanning over two decades This month's podcast sees Shirley Robertson talking to New Zealand's Murray Jones about a remarkable career spanning over two decades chasing the oldest trophy in international sport. Posted on 28 May
Shirley Robertson talks with Pete Goss
The accomplished offshore sailor is famed for executing one of the bravest solo ocean rescues ever This month, Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast talks to British offshore adventurer Pete Goss, an accomplished offshore sailor famed for executing one of the bravest solo ocean rescues of all time. Posted on 6 Mar
Shirley Robertson talks speed records
Shirley Robertson talks about smashing records with offshore multihull speedster Brian Thompson This month, Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast hosts one of offshore sailing's most accomplished names, as multiple world record holder Brian Thompson drops in for a two part chat about being one of the fastest offshore sailors on the planet. Posted on 26 Jan
America's Cup: Robertson talks with the US team
Shirley Robertson heads to Barcelona to interview some of the key personnel from American Magic This month, Shirley Robertson heads to Barcelona to interview some of the key personnel from American Magic, the New York Yacht Club's challenger to the 37th America's Cup. Posted on 24 Dec 2023
America's Cup: Shirley Robertson visits Swiss team
Shirley Robertson visits Swiss America's Cup team Alinghi Red Bull Racing at their base in Barcelona This month, Shirley Robertson visits Swiss America's Cup powerhouse Alinghi Red Bull Racing at their base in Barcelona as they prepare to Challenge for the 37th America's Cup. Posted on 10 May 2023
Shirley Robertson talks with Dean Barker
The joy of victory and the pain of defeat with America's Cup helm Dean Barker Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast hosts one of the sport's most recognisable talents as New Zealand's Dean Barker talks to double Olympic gold medallist Robertson about a career spent chasing the illusive America's Cup. Posted on 30 Mar 2023
Shirley Robertson talks with Alex Thomson
Alex Thomson talks Vendee Globes, Ocean Rescues and those Viral Social Media Campaigns Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast continues this month with one of offshore sailing's most active campaigners, a sailor whose career spans two decades at the highest level of the sport and includes a record equaling five Vendee Globe starts. Posted on 9 Mar 2023
Shirley Robertson reports from Alicante
Shirley Robertson talks to key sailors in The Ocean Race ahead of the start in Alicante This month's edition of Shirley Robertson's Sailing Podcast comes from the Spanish port of Alicante, long time home to the Ocean Race, as the fourteenth edition of this famous round the world adventure gets underway with a dramatic new look. Posted on 19 Jan 2023