FLASHBACK TO 1920: THE AMERICA’S CUP

First sailed in 1891, the America’s Cup has gone on to become not just the oldest trophy in international sport but potentially the most difficult to win. The Cup has a strong tradition of bringing the best of the marine industry together. From designers and engineers, to boat builders and the sailors who push the boats to the edge of breaking, each team shows up at the start line with their A-game. Ready to sail, ready to win and knowing that “there is no second.” 2017 begins another new era in America’s Cup history; the Cup is now New Zealand’s to defend.

The North Sails corporate office sits in an old building in Newport, Rhode Island. Across the hall is a library filled with sailing history and artifacts, dating as far back as the late 19th century. One of the items housed in the library is the log book from Resolute, the American Defender of the America’s Cup in 1920. With a few America’s Cup veterans in the Newport office (notably Ken Read and Kimo Worthington) you can bet we took pause for a few hours to dig through the handwritten log. A step back in time to see how far this race and the yachting industry has come.

From the beginning, the America’s Cup has always been a race of technology and innovation. In the 35th edition, we saw foiling catamarans, wing sailors, computer generated graphics and the army of cyclers on Emirates Team New Zealand. We’ll soon turn the page to the 36th edition of the America’s Cup. And the rest is history.