1981 Australian Admiral's Cup Trials

Hitchhiker

These photographs of the 1981 Australian Admiral's Cup trials series are courtesy of Australian yachtsman Chris Furey's personal collection. Interest in the trials was high following Australia's Admiral's Cup win in 1979, and ten new boats lined up alongside the known yardsticks Police Car and Impetuous which had been the vanguard of the 1979 Cup winning effort.  

Two new boats from Western Australia proved to be the ones to beat - Alan Bond's Peterson 43 Apollo V, which had been built in England by Jeremy Rogers (of Moonshine and Eclipse fame), and Peter Briggs new Frers 40 Hitchhiker. Briggs underscored his seriousness with his Hitchhiker campaign by fitting the yacht with a German-made titanium-stocked rudder from Speedwave, and ordered a spare Stearn mast for the boat.

Startline jostling in the 1981 Australian Admiral's Cup trials, Apollo V (left), Police Car and Impetuous

Other new yachts which contested the trials included the Peterson 44 and New Zealand-built Inch by Winch, the Davidson 40 Szechwan and the Dubois 40's Seaulater and Once More Dear Friends. The S&S 46 Challenge (Lou Abrahams) was also in the fray, she had been in the winning Australian team in the 1980 Clipper Cup and had come close to winning the Sydney-Hobart race in the preceding December, just missing out to Ceramco New Zealand by 22 minutes on corrected time.

Challenge shuts out Szechwan at the start of one of the trial races

Hitchhiker was the star of the series, counting five wins and line honours in two of the races to confirm her place in the team. Apollo V strong performance also ensured her selection. Syd Fischer's latest Peterson-designed Ragamuffin was fortunate to make the team after finishing in sixth place on the unofficial points table.  Although of a similar length and rating to Apollo V, Ragamuffin was a more moderate and rounded shape. Her improvement throughout the trials, plus the promise of further ballast alterations, crew changes and the recruitment of Lowell North for the Cup itself, won favour with the selectors. The inclusion of Ragamuffin was at the expense of third placed Challenge.

Hitchhiker reaches in light airs under spinnaker and staysail

Although she dominated the Australian trials, Hitchhiker failed to live up to expectations in the Cup itself, opening her score sheet with a disqualification in the first race and a near last in the second to finish 34th yacht in the individual standings. Ragamuffin justified her selection by finishing as top of the Australian team (and tenth overall), but this wasn't enough to save the Australian team which slumped to finish in eighth place overall.

Apollo V sails upwind in light airs

The Apollo V crew take a break between races

Ragamuffin - a controversial choice for the Australian team, but she ended up being the team's best performer

The Peterson 44 Inch by Winch - name and graphics reflecting the involvement of one of her owners with Barlow winches

Hitchhiker chases the bigger Inch by Winch on a reaching leg in moderate conditions - the duck emblem on Inch by Winch reflected her home port of Duck Creek, near Sydney

The Dubois 40 Seaulater (above and below)

Szechwan leads Police Car on a tight reach

The older Peterson 43 Sunburst following Once More Dear Friends (left) and Szechwan (middle)