Admiral's Cup 1993

A stampede of 50-footers during the fourth race of the 1993 Admiral's Cup, with Champosa VII leading Pro-motion VII, Indulgence and Corum Saphir (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

Just as they did in similarly boisterous conditions in 1985, Germany outlasted their opponents to win the 1993 Champagne Mumm Admiral’s Cup for the fourth time. In a series that became a battle of attrition by the end of the Fastnet race, the Germans finished with all three boats – Container, Rubin XII and Pinta - intact, while the early front-runners, Australia and Italy, paid dearly for collisions and gear failure. Germany won by just a quarter of a point, an even narrower margin than the French in 1991. It was a fittingly close result for what was to be the swansong for the IOR in the Admiral's Cup.

Starline action during the 1993 Admiral's Cup, with Nippon to windward (mid-tack), Swing (JPN3553), Indulgence (GBR) and Jameson 3, with the bow of Mandrake to the right (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

The win nevertheless came as a surprise to the German team. Despite having the current One Ton champion Pinta, their team was not considered to be as strong as Australia or Italy.

Pro-motion VII powers along in fresh reaching conditions during the 1993 Admiral's Cup (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

As with the 1991 event, teams were made up of a 50-footer, Two Tonner and a One Tonner. However, the three-class level-rating scoring that had proved so successful in 1991 was dropped. Elapsed times had to be corrected not just into class order, but fleet order too. An age allowance factor was also introduced. However, only two scores from three boats were counted for each race (after it was feared that the series might fail and so two-boat teams were permitted for the first time). Only the Dutch team failed to field a three-boat team. It was therefore impossible to tell the results while racing was underway, and as a windy series, it favoured the larger yachts. This meant that some crews may have sailed well, but were rewarded with no points. A good 50-footer seemed essential for success, since their ability to obtain clear air early in any of the races guaranteed them a better chance than the boats which had to struggle through the disturbed air of one or two bigger classes – indeed, five of the seven races were won by the 50-footers and the other two went to Two Tonners. The One Tonners hardly got a look in, but Germany’s One Tonner, Pinta, that year's World One Ton champion, was essential to the team’s success even though she only recorded a score in two races.

Mandrake leads Jameson 3, with Champosa VII setting her spinnaker and followed by Corum Saphir and Container (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

Australia showed early form – Syd Fisher’s Ragamuffin (ex-Will) in the hands of Peter Gilmour, had looked the best 50-footer on the track. Gilmour constantly proved that, and only the combined attack of his opponents, and hitting a windward mark in the third race, stopped Ragamuffin from winning every race easily. The team’s One Tonner, Ninja, was a touch off the pace but this was made up for by John Calbert Jones’ Great News II (ex-Wings of Oracle), which became a force in the hands of Colin Beashel and it was only when her mast broke off at the deck early in the Fastnet, 20 miles north of the Scillies Islands, that the Australian challenge was lost.

Corum Saphir creates a bit of white water as she rounds a leeward mark (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

The German success was due to the efficiency of the team with back-up support that was ready for almost every eventuality, with New Zealand’s Peter Lester playing a key coaching role.

Jameson 2 rounds a gybe mark ahead of Rubin XII and Swing (photographer unknown)

France had probably had more practice than the rest of the team, but the combined talent never materialised into a winning force until the Fastnet, where once again, the French were the highest point scorers. But by then it was too late. Mistakes were common and Corum Saphir, the team's 50-footer (ex-Springbok), failed to score for her country in three of the inshore races when the big boats were dominant. Corum Rubis, the Two Tonner (ex-Bravura), recorded a solid score in every race and only Ragamuffin and Container were able to do as well. But Corum Diamant, the One Tonner (ex-Okyalos VI) failed to shine.

The aftermath of the Mandrake / Pro-motion VII collision in the fifth race (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing)

Italy lead into the final race, but were impacted by the loss of Mandrake, the 50-footer, in the fifth race after she had won two consecutive inshore races. Mandrake and the Dutch yacht Pro-motion VII crashed as they approached the windward mark for the second time. After losing her lead at the first mark Pro-motion was caught by other 50-footers, and then slightly over-stood the windward mark on the second time. She was slightly high on Indulgence’s weather hip as Mandrake came across on port. Skipper Francesco di Angelis dipped Indulgence’s stern but when the rudder stalled while attempting to dip Pro-motion and her bow entered the middle of Pro-motion’s hull, slicing to just below the waterline, at the same time breaking off the front four feet of the Italian yacht. For a time it seemed that both would sink, and it was a full minute before they could be prised apart. The crew of Pro-motion immediately put her on port tack to keep the gaping hole clear of the water and headed for Chichester Harbour with pumps going flat out. Mandrake’s crew, meanwhile, covered the hole in the bow with a storm jib, massed their weight and all sails in the stern and settled in for a long slow tow home to Cowes.

The extent of damage to Pro-motion is clearly visible from this photo by Gilles Martin-Raget (Facebook)

The video footage of this incident, including the lead-up and aftermath, can be seen in a Reuters film here, and in the video below (at 33 minutes).

Mandrake’s loss was crucial for the team which had looked so strong on paper. Larouge, the Two Tonner, had just won the Two Ton Cup and was top scorer in the class going into the Fastnet, but on the way back from Fastnet Rock, and 40 miles from Bishop Rock, her runner parted and their rig tumbled with 130 miles to go. The One Tonner, Brava Q8 (One Ton Cup winner in 1992) was seen as a potent performer, but she only produced a good score on one occasion. She was initially lucky in race 3 when after hooking the mooring of the outer distance mark, the race committee delayed the start, but later lost her mast not long after rounding the final leeward mark.

Japan finished fifth. Champosa VII, the team's 50-footer, showed flashes of brilliance but her overall score was not as hoped for. Swing was a regular scorer for her team, but Nippon, the One Tonner, was not as strong, and things were not helped when a crew-member went over the side during the Fastnet, and the yacht subsequently retired.

Britain was a lowly sixth. Indulgence (ex-Juno V) finishing as top yacht in the Fastnet, but other than a second in the opening race, she failed to score in the next four. Provezza Sauce, the Two Tonner, had good speed but this was often wasted. The young team aboard GBE International (ex-Port Pendennis), might have done better but lacked experience of mixed-fleet sailing in a small boat.

"Jameson on the rocks" (photo Sharon Green | Ultimate Sailing) 

The Irish team’s performance were impacted from the first race after the team’s One Tonner, Jameson 1 (ex-Fram XI), hit the rocks off Gurnard Ledge (to the west of Cowes) and lost her keel. Four other One Tonner’s hit as well but Jameson 1 was the only serious casualty. Down to two boats, there was further disappointment when Jameson 3 (ex-Heaven Can Wait) broke her boom at the mainsheet attachment during the Fastnet race. Jameson 2 (ex-Shockwave) was the team’s bright note, finishing as the top Two Tonner overall.

The 35th Fastnet race, the seventh race of the regatta, provided the 20 remaining boats left in the Cup with a proper test of the fleet. Good strong winds, on the wind all the way to the Fastnet Rock, and a fast run and reach back, found weaknesses and, as usual, was the final arbiter of the Cup. At the front of the fleet, it was a battle between Ragamuffin and Indulgence, with Corum Saphir coming into the equation on the way home. Corum Rubis led the Two Tonners at the Rock, 16-minutes ahead of Larouge. Pinta led the One Tonners, ahead of Brava Q8 by 11 minutes, and Ninja another seven minutes back.

Experience aboard Indulgence was a key factor at the Lizard, when in a foul tide navigator Peter Morton took the boat inshore into a countercurrent and this enabled Chris Law to steer her ahead of Gilmour and the Ragamuffin team. She then led Ragamuffin into Plymouth Sound by just 11 seconds, with Corum Saphir a further 12 seconds astern. 

However, Ragamuffin lost a place to Corum Saphir on corrected time, which was crucial for the overall results. After Larouge’s dismasting, the Cup result became a battle between Australia and Germany, and much depended on the One Tonners. Pinta was the difference, finishing seven minutes ahead of Brava Q8 and, more importantly, one place ahead of Jamieson 2 on corrected time. 

A subsequent protest against Jameson 2 by Prevezza Sauce under the Collision Regulations about an alleged luffing incident during the hours of darkness, which would have raised Ninja by one point and given the Cup to Australia, was dismissed by the International Jury and the final result, and Germany’s victory, was confirmed. 

It is noted that without the discard scoring system, Germany's points margin would have been even higher, so at least the 'right' country won under the 1993 system. Ragamuffin was the highest individual points scorer.

An excellent video of the close racing experienced during the series can be seen below.

 

This article (April 2025) is adapted from the accounts within Bob Fisher's article in 'Admiral's Cup Blow by Blow', September 1993 (as printed in Boating NZ magazine) and Timothy Jefferey in The Official History of the Champagne Mumm Admiral's Cup (1994). 

Shockwave (Farr Two Tonner)

Design 268 (Farr Yacht Design)

Shockwave, the 1992 Two Tonner, was the last of Neville Crichton's yachts to be designed and raced under the IOR. As a Two Tonner, Shockwave was just under 44ft long, and rated 35.05ft IOR. She was commissioned to campaign the 1992 Two Ton Cup, which was held as part of the Kenwood Cup that year, the first (and last) New Zealand yacht to contest this series. It was intended that she would then go on to race in the 1993 Admiral's Cup.

Shockwave, and her Japanese sistership Donky VI (Design 268), were developments of the successful 1990 Italian yacht Larouge (Design 242). Larouge had won the 1991 Two Ton Cup, and had placed first in class and second overall as part of the winning all-Farr designed Italian 'A' team at the 1990 Sardinia Cup. She then finished second in class to Bravura as part of the second placed Italian team in the 1991 Admiral's Cup. 

The Farr design notes comment that Design 268 included more powerful stern sections to increase the heeled length of the yacht at the cost of a small amount of sail area. Transition to windy venues such as at the Kenwood Cup was achieved through increases to stability, trimming down at the stern, and reducing sail area and this made the yacht longer and more powerful.

Shockwave on launching day, 7 May 1992 (above and below)

Shockwave during early trials on the Waitemata Harbour (above and below)

Crichton and his Shockwave team enjoyed success in Hawaii, winning the 1992 Two Ton Cup in a close tussle with Larouge, the reigning champion. 

Shockwave powers upwind during the 1992 Kenwood Cup (photo Farr Yacht Design FB page)

Shockwave slides downwind during the 1992 Two Ton and Kenwood Cup series in Hawaii (above and below)

Unfortunately, in the 1993 Two Ton Cup, midnight confusion and a U-turn by the race committee brought the series to a controversial and sad end for Shockwave. She went into the final 99 mile race leading on points, and the only boat that could dislodge the New Zealand crew from the second successive world title was Larouge. In strong winds and poor visiblity, four boats crossed the finish line together. There was no doubt that Larouge was first, but the crucial question was whether Shockwave was third or fourth. 

Shockwave at a gybe mark during the 1992 Clipper Cup (photo Farr Yacht Design FB page)

Larouge in Hawaii - Two Ton Cup winner in 1991 and narrowly beat Shockwave in 1993

Initially the committee said Shockwave was third, which meant they had won the championship, but then changed their minds to place the New Zealand boat fourth after evidence from Larouge and Germany's Rubin XII was presented. 

Shockwave at speed in the Kenwood Cup

Shockwave (right) follows Bravura, with Larouge visible to the left and Corum Rubis further back (photo Phil Uhl)

Shockwave later raced for the Irish team in the 1993 Admiral's Cup and became Jameson 2 and was the top performing Two Tonner in the series. Unfortunately the One Tonner in the team, Jameson 1 lost her keel after hitting Gurnard Ledge in the first race and had to retire from the series, while the 50-footer, Jameson 3 (ex-Heaven Can Wait) had to retire from the Fastnet Race after breaking her boom.

Shockwave, as Jameson 2 (sailing for Ireland) during the 1993 Admiral's Cup, goes through a gybe

while racing during the 1993 Admiral's Cup, with Japan's Swing close behind (photographer unknown) 

Shockwave was later bought by Australian interests and re-named Atara. She came to grief in the 1994 Sydney to Hobart race when on the second night, and with only the trisail set, a huge wave slammed into the boat and the sail and overloaded the rig, and retired to Eden. 

Article updated May 2025