Remembering New York Yacht Club's Broken Boat (AmericaOne) November 1999

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Young America, seeing better days

Young America, Hitting the wave and breaking.
Disaster struck at the weather mark as Young America hit a wave in a badly timed tack. I happened to be shooting continuous and I got this shot, The other photographers had their backs turned.

In a lull and with some weird lighting we looked at Young America as we raced over to the broken boat. We thought it would sink for sure.

The crew had jumped off and most were swimming, but as it became clear that the boat was not sinking they got back on and started salvage. Taking lines and pumps and dropping the sails.

"We have a line attached but stand by with a knife in case it goes down"

It was quite a scene at the base when Young America returned.

Details of the decks of Young America and La Defi, (typical of the other boats). On the right see the details of the actual breakage

This is the reinforcement done to New York's other boat after AmericaOne broke

Abracadabra behind a wave

AmericaOne going over a wave

America True

Judy was part of the Louis Vitton/America's Cup scene

Louis Vuitton Cup, 2000 AC

We went to New Zealand to be there for the America's Cup. I worked in the city for a year but when the Louis Vuitton Media Center opened I was first in line for press credentials, which I was immediately issued. I quit my job in the city and hung out down at the docks, taking photos and writing stories for the next six months. I photographed 70 races, shot 700 rolls of film (no digital back then) and wrote a heap of stories.

I can tell you that it was exciting, from start to finish.

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Bow Man, America One

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Spanish Endessa

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Japan

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Circling on a windy day

Most of the other photographers hoped for sunny days but I liked the stormy ones better.

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Dawn Riley's America True

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Setting the kite

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Chaos on the foredeck

We've all been there; when it is a windy day and there's chaos on the foredeck even the owner heads forward to help out.

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The waves were breaking over the boats on this day, Tom Kolius on Abracadaba

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Calm days, someone always went up to look for breeze

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On this wave Young America, USA 53, Broke

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Everyone abandoned ship

We raced over and the water was filled with swimming sailors, but Young America didn't sink, and soon the crew went back on, put pumps aboard and took down the sails. After this the crew used the second boat, (after they strengthened it) but they were still, justifiably, a little spooked. The designer, Farr, blamed the break on the crew.

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Bad Rounding

On the starboard side of the boat the kite is going into the water and on the port side, a crewman is retrieved. Prada looked rough at the beginning but they got better, much better.

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Big waves in the Hauraki Gulf

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America One (US61)
Big Kites, small foredeck, no lifelines, real sailors.

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Eye to Eye

Notice Cayard (helm on America One) locked eyeball to eyeball with de Angelis on Prada.

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Classic Match Racing

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Prada Attacking

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Winners

Prada won the Louis Vuitton Cup, and the right to challenge, but New Zealand beat them 5-0 for the cup.

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Kiwi NZL62 Practicing

Rhythm of Life in Cartagena

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Cartagena-Old and New

Church Dome

City behind the wall

Judy

Chain going in

Finished

Composite Photo: Anchor and Markings

Dingy Repairs

Watching the America's Cup

America's Cup-2000-New Zealand

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America True & Nippon Circling

When the Louis Viutton Cup got going for the 2000 Cup in the Hauraki Gulf in Auckland New Zealand there were a lot of windy races. Most of the photographers griped about the dull days but I liked the drama of the big waves and dark skies.

This is my favorite shot: two boats, the ocean; nothing else matters.

Great Graphics-Great Sailing

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Adabracadabra

I loved the look of this boat from Hawaii and this is one of the good shots I got in the windy conditions; the Hauraki Gulf is kicking up,the spume is flying and Adabracadabra is smoking.

America True

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Setting the kite on a windy day

Dawn Riley and John Cutler and the rest of the crew get ready for a ride.

The sailing is good

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Nippon

The sailing is good in the Hauraki Gulf.

What New York Used to Be

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The Moment

What New York used to be was a whole boat, the hopes and pride of the New York Yacht Club. Now, in this instant, it all went south.

I'd turned my lens to the dark grey boat to see it tack and started shooting just as it came out of the tack and off a rather big wave. The first frame I took is this one, just as they hit that one big wave which did them in. This is the moment.

The Day New York Broke in Two

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One wave too many

Sailors know it's not the wind which causes the problems; its the waves. New York's pride found a wave which had their name on it.

Looking Very Wrong

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Broken Boat

We were on the scene in seconds and the New York boat was looking very wrong when we got there. The crew is stunned.

The Crew Hit the Water

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In the water

People swiming with the boat looking like it would go down any minute; the scene was unreal.

Stars & Stripe's Little Problem

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Oops!

It wasn't just New York that had problems in the blustery Hauraki Gulf sailing conditions. Here we see how Dennis Conner's boat just opened the trunk lid at an inopportune time.