In Auckland New Zealand today teams from Italy and the host nation are battling to win a series of boat races. The scene is the 36th staging of the America's Cup. And the score line in a best of thirteen races is tied at three all. This is remarkable because it is a scoreline that has not been seen since Liberty [the big red boat] and Australia II were tied at three all in a five race series. That was way back in 1983 and so yachting fanatics all around the world are hoping for a close finish to this regatta too. Australia II went on to win the Cup and as such were the first to unbolt the prize possession of the New York Yacht Club and head back to Perth with it in their kit bags. But it was only late in the fifth race that Australia II surfed on passed Liberty to win another tight scrap. It was thrilling for every Australian to see the moment when their boat slipped passed the defender to snap a well deserved victory.
Australia II raced with a winged keel which was a great breakthrough for 12 metre yachts at the time. At the base of the keel on the boat were two fins that extended out like aerofoils. This meant that Australia II could point higher in the water when heading into the wind and could surf the breeze when moving downwind. And as the winner of the America's Cup as challenger for the first time in one hundred and thirty two years this feature has been lauded, copied, and emulated by yacht designers ever since. Indeed today both the defender and the challenger sail, for the most part, up on foils that look like the wings on Australia II. They get up on these foils with the hull above the waterline and they fly at speeds of up to fifty knots. So the winning boat in 1983 changed the history of yachting. And although I am a proud Aussie I wish she had not won - well sort of.
The truth is Liberty was a superior boat in all types of weather conditions. More on that in a moment. But she lost the battle for the Cup onshore not on the water. History tells us that Liberty led three wins to one and was ahead when she had a gear failure at sea. She lost that race and there after did not win again. I think the reason for her losses after the incident at sea was the relentless media chat about the winged keel advantage that her opponent held. I contend that the skipper of Liberty, Dennis Conner, was mentally broken onshore and so he lost a series he should have won out on the water. The final race he lost by just six boat lengths. My point here is that this was a great pity for the world of innovation and design. Because... If Liberty had won then I assert the world would be a better place today.
You see... Liberty was not just one boat she was three. Indeed as part of the onshore pressure on Dennis Conner the Aussie press machine insisted that Liberty be painted in three different colours not just sparkling red. The reason is that "big red" could be reconfigured to race in light, medium, and heavy conditions on the racecourse. The truth was she was legally three boats all rolled into one. Just think about that concept for a moment and you might better appreciate why I think that big red boat was awesome. If she had won the Cup in 1983 then that amazing notion of being three things in one would have spread to designs for all manner of things. Not least it would have taken hold as the first principle for organisational design.
I just love everything about Liberty the big-beamed fast red boat which was always racing in her absolute best mode for the conditions on the course that day. Is it a coincidence that minimal-you is three mind states in one - thoughts, habits, and beliefs? No it is not. I feel certain the "big red boat" influenced me when I was hatching that schema for my life.
Richard.
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