Reliance was the biggest boat ever built for the America`s Cup (1903) and was a breakthrough design. She sailed with a crew of 64 and had more than 1 500 square metres of sail area. The spinnaker pole alone was 88ft (27m) long.

The challenge was accepted, and a 90-foot schooner was commissioned by the newly formed New York Yacht Club to be built for the sum of $45,000. In June of 1851, the schooner "America" was launched. "America" immediately broke the record for crossing the Atlantic with a passage in under 21 days. 

The English were fascinated by "America's" unusual appearance but were nevertheless confidant that one of the 15 British boats would win the race. The race was barely a contest as the United States enjoyed an easy victory, but the victory would not be without controversy. 

The British side accused the Americans of taking a shorter course, and there were even questions alluding to the use of a steam driven propeller. 

In the end, nothing was proved, and the United States were declared the victors. 

A trophy was commissioned and spent the next six years traveling around the United States. In 1857, it was given to the New York Yacht Club under the condition that it be awarded to a winning boat after a regatta between friendly countries. 

In honor of that original schooner "America," the cup was renamed the America's Cup. 

Ranger (left) and Endeavour in 1934.

England mounted 24 unsuccessful challengers for the America's Cup over the next 113 years. During this extraordinary American winning streak, the competition remained top-notch and exciting. 

Many of Britain's finest shipbuilders and skippers were commissioned to compete by such notable yacht owners as the tea and grocery baron Sir Thomas Lipton. Sir Thomas Sopwith, founder of the aircraft company that produced the famous Sopwith Camels during WWI as well as the Hawker Hurricane which may well have saved Britain in the Battle of Britain, also competed, as did the famously wealthy and vociferously combative Peter de Savary, head of multiple British challenges. 

America's lineup of owners and skippers during these years included such colorful sportsmen and entrepreneurs as Harold S. Vanderbilt, Bus Mosbacher, and Ted Turner. 

By the 1970's, it was becoming increasingly obvious that technology was the most important part of any challenge or defense of the America's Cup. The world's best sailors were now vying for the "Holy Grail" of sailing, so more often than not, it was the team with the fastest boat which was consistently winning. 

America's domination of the event was complete and unblemished until the race of 1983. 

Australia II.

The Americans' very public disputes over whether or not the new and unknown keel design should disqualify "Australia II" helped to fuel widespread public interest in the race. 

"Australia II" performed magnificently during the trials, and the protests regarding the keel were overruled. For the first time in 132 years, the defending American team was severely shaken. Their spirits were lifted, however, when Dennis Conner, aboard "Liberty," won the first two races of the finals. 

Although "Australia II" won the third race by the largest margin of any challenger since 1971, Conners' team took the third race and America breathed a collective sigh of relief. 

Australia won the fifth race and for the first time in Cup history, the Cup final was going to a sixth race. This too, was won by Australia. "Liberty" led "Australia II" by over a minute during the deciding seventh race when Australian skipper John Bertrand tacked away, caught a shift and beat "Liberty" by 25 seconds. The longest winning streak in modern sports history had been broken. 

Although many Americans were only vaguely aware of the America's Cup competition before the race, Ben Lexcens controversial new design and America's stunning defeat drew widespread media coverage, both in America and around the world. 

Millions who had never seen a yacht under sail, now took an interest in the sport of yacht racing and the long, illustrious history of the America's Cup. 

The goal of this new class was to establish a level playing field for syndicates involved in the America's Cup. 

With the explosion of technology in modern-day sailing, the aim was to set stringent guidelines for both dimensions and designs. This left materials as the avenue to improve, and this strategy has been pushed to the limits of technology, as was seen by "Australia I" in 1995. 

The new IACC are much larger than their old 12-meter counterparts, but the main difference is the increase in sail area. 

As can been seen by the table below, there is a 40 percent increase in sail area due mainly to larger mast height and an increase in spinnaker and jib hoist. These changes have created a boat that is more challenging to sail but, with the increased sail area, faster on each point of sail and therefore more exciting to watch. 

The conditions off Auckland, New Zealand, where this year's challenger series will be sailed, will provide many difficult decisions for the design team. 

In San Diego, it was generally accepted that the racing would be in mainly light to medium air; however, Auckland will be an entirely different proposition. With the possibility of all types of wind conditions and the sometimes large swells in the Tasmanian Sea, boats must be fast and durable. 
 

 

	12-meter	IACC
Length	65'	75'+
Waterline	45'	57'
Beam	12'	15'+
Draft	9'	13'
Mast Height	86'	110'
Sail Area-Main/Jib	2,000 sq feet	3,000 sq feet
Sail Area-Spinnaker	2,000 sq feet	4,500 sq feet
Displacement	56,000 lbs	37,000 lbs
Jib Hoist	75%	80%
Spinnaker Hoist	80%	100%
Crew	11	16