2 min read · Updated 22 June 2026
The America's Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport and the pinnacle of competitive sailing — a match race between the yacht club that holds the Cup, the defender, and a challenger seeking to take it. First won in 1851, and famously wrested from the Americans by Australia in 1983, it carries a mystique no other sailing event can match. For a nation that has both won and lost it, the Cup runs deep in Australian sailing history.
The oldest trophy in sport
The America's Cup predates almost every trophy in world sport. The silver ewer itself was crafted in 1848, and the first race was sailed on 22 August 1851 around the Isle of Wight, where the schooner America — from the New York Yacht Club — beat a fleet of the Royal Yacht Squadron's finest, watched by Queen Victoria. The trophy took the name of that first winner, and in 1857 was placed under a Deed of Gift as a perpetual international challenge trophy. It has been contested ever since, making it older than the modern Olympic Games.
The 132-year streak — and 1983
From 1857 the Cup was held by the New York Yacht Club, which defended it successfully 24 times in a row over 132 years — the longest winning streak in the history of sport. Challenger after challenger failed.
Then, in 1983, everything changed. The yacht Australia II, representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club and skippered by John Bertrand, beat the defender Liberty to win the Cup — the first successful challenge in 132 years. Its secret winged keel became legendary, and the win is remembered as one of the greatest moments in Australian sport. The defence that followed was sailed off Fremantle in the famous Fremantle Doctor sea breeze — a story told in our guide to sailing in Perth and Fremantle.
Why it matters
Winning the America's Cup is one of the hardest things to do in sport. It demands the fastest boats, the best sailors and enormous resources, and it has driven much of the innovation that reaches the rest of sailing — from hull and keel design to today's foiling technology. It is where the sport's cutting edge is forged.
The boats today
The Cup's boats have transformed over 170 years, from towering gaff-rigged yachts to today's AC75 — a 75-foot foiling monohull that rises clear of the water on hydrofoils and sails at speeds once thought impossible. Each era's class is set by the rules agreed between defender and challenger. For how the competition is actually structured and won, see how the America's Cup works.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the America's Cup?
- The America's Cup is the pinnacle trophy of competitive sailing and the oldest trophy in international sport — older than the modern Olympics. It is contested as a match race between two yachts: one representing the yacht club that currently holds the Cup, called the defender, and one representing a challenging club. The winner takes the trophy and the right to host and defend the next edition.
- Why is the America's Cup so famous?
- Because it is the oldest continuously contested trophy in international sport, dating to 1851, and because winning it is extraordinarily difficult — it demands the fastest boats, the best sailors and vast resources. For 132 years no challenger could win it from the New York Yacht Club, the longest winning streak in sporting history, which made the eventual defeats all the more historic.
- When did Australia win the America's Cup?
- In 1983, the yacht Australia II, representing the Royal Perth Yacht Club, defeated the New York Yacht Club's Liberty to win the America's Cup. It was the first time in 132 years that the Americans had lost the trophy, ending the longest winning streak in sport. Australia II's secret winged keel became one of the most famous innovations in sailing.
- How old is the America's Cup?
- The trophy dates to 1848, and the first race was held on 22 August 1851 around the Isle of Wight in England, won by the schooner America. That makes the America's Cup the oldest international sporting trophy still competed for, predating the modern Olympic Games by 45 years.
- What boats are used in the America's Cup?
- The boats have changed many times over the Cup's history, from great gaff-rigged yachts to modern machines. The current class is the AC75 — a 75-foot foiling monohull that lifts clear of the water on hydrofoils and sails at extraordinary speeds. Each era's boats are defined by the rules agreed between the defender and challenger.