Word: gretel
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...challengers had gone down to defeat before superior U.S. boats and superior U.S. seamanship. Of 55 races, the challengers had won only five*-and the last boat to do it was Britain's Endeavour, 28 years ago. But last week, off Newport, R.I., Australia's Gretel and Skipper Jock Sturrock proved to be unawed by the statistics. In the first four races of the best-of-seven series, the Aussies lost three to the U.S. defender, Weatherly, and her quiet genius, Bus Mosbacher. But Gretel did win one, and in a way that led one Aussie to proclaim...
...second match in the kind of day to gladden any Sydney sailor's heart. The balmy 15-knot breeze had be come a tearing, 25-knot northwest wind; heavy swells rolled across the green Atlantic, and off to the horizon spray-laden whitecaps filled the scene. It was Gretel's weather, the same strong winds that made the beautiful white-hulled sloop fly in home waters off Gretel's weather, the same strong winds that made the beautiful white-hulled sloop fly in home waters off Sydney and her crew made the most...
...second race was Gretel, Gretel all the way. In a long series of tacking duels Mosbacher was for once unable to break cleanly away from the challenger and the run to the finish cinched the race for the Aussies. Weatherly was slowed by a broken spinnaker pole, while Sturrock audaciously swept wide around the mark to come up even with the struggling defender...
...Gretel then took advantage of an old Australian custom and, catching the following seas on her broad stern, surf-boarded home to a :47 victory and the fastest 24 mile race ever sailed by the swift Twelve meter sloops...
With the Americans ahead 2-1 Sturrock and his Aussies proceeded to hand the Yanks the fright of their lives, Weatherly winning by a scant :26 over the 24 mile course. The fifth race ended the bid from Down-Under as Weatherly defeated Gretel by a 3:40, ending the best four out of seven series...