Description:

USA - US 61

Designed by Gary Mull and built by Robert E. Derecktor Incorporated to challenge for the 1987 America’s Cup in Perth. 

With a team led by the highly competitive and colorful world class sailor Tom Blackaller, designer Gary Mull was given ‘free rein’ to challenge the norms of 12 Metre design.  Consulting with the two leaders in fluid dynamics and access to the enormously powerful (at the time) Cray Supercomputer at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory in California a revolutionary 12 Metre was conceived.   With a forward canard rudder, bulb keel (ahead of the times in 1986) and ‘canoe’ underbody, she came out of the Derecktor yard and shipped to San Francisco.

While difficult to tune, she became faster as the crew learned her habits.  In Perth she suffered in the early going but her potential was obvious.  USA made it to the semi finals against Stars & Stripes and while barely losing in two races she lost in four. 

USA was purchased by a European based owner, refurbished and sailed competitively in the 2001 Royal Yacht Squadron Jubilee off Cowes.  Returning to Newport, she was sailed by syndicate from 2005-2009 and purchased by the Heckman family in 2010.   In 2015 she was purchased by the owner of Victory 83   who has ensured many of her parts and hardware are well preserved and in storage so she can be pieced back together and return to the race course.