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Young Australia 2000
  AUS 29.
AUS 29 hits the water for the first time in Sydney Harbour. (Allsport)
Although England have been the main challenger for the America’s Cup over the last 148 years, Australia gained fame by becoming the first to rest the Auld Mug from the New York Yacht Club back 1983. It was the culmination of several years of sailing advancement in that country.

Two names synomous with ocean racing in Australia are Syd Fischer OBE and Sir James Hardy OBE.

Syd is challenging for the America’s Cup for the fifth time and his list of ocean racing achievements is extensive. Most notably he was captain of the Australian Admirals Cup team in 1973,1977, 1979, 1981, 1993 and 1997.

Sir James has competed in two Olympics and helmsman during four Admirals Cup’s including the winning 1979 team. He is a three time America’s Cup skipper, 1970 on Gretel II, 1974 on Southern Cross and 1980on Australia. He was also involved in the winning 1983 Australia II team. He was also inducted into the America’s Cup Hall of Fame in Rhode Island. With such experience behind them they decided to take a completely different line of action for Australia’s challenge for the 2000 America’s Cup.

They decided to launch Young Australia 2000, an avenue for the cream of the young Australian sailors to have the chance to compete at the highest level. As skipper, they decided on world junior match racing champion James Spithill. The 19-year-old from Sydney will become the youngest skipper of an America’s Cup syndicate. The boat will an also contain up to 11 other young Australian’s aged between 18 and 22. Rob Brown OAM, who is a three time 18ft skiff world champion and member of the winning has been selected as coach.

The team will sail AUS-29, which was formerly used in Syd Fischer’s unsuccessful challenge in 1995. The boat was designed by Fluid Thinking and of the same design family as the two oneAustralia boats. OneAustralia made the finals in 1995 and took a race off the previously unbeaten Team New Zealand. Unfortunately the faster of the two oneAustralia boats still lies at the bottom of the ocean of the shore of San Diego.

It is the Australian’s hope that they are not only sending a competitive team to New Zealand for this America’s Cup but also building the foundation for future America’s Cup’s, hopefully sailed on the waters of Sydney Harbour.