Stars & Stripes 83 12 US 53

Design and Origins

Stars & Stripes (US-53) was an International 12 Metre yacht built to the International Third Rule as part of the United States effort to regain the America’s Cup in the 1987 26th Match at Fremantle. The yacht originated as Spirit of America (US-34), designed by Bill Langan of Sparkman & Stephens for the 1983 defender trials. Although Spirit of America did not race competitively in her original form, her hull became the foundation for a major redesign.

That redesign produced Stars & Stripes ’83, rebuilt at Geraghty Marine in San Diego by the Sail America design team led by Britton Chance, Bruce Nelson, and David Pedrick.

America’s Cup Campaign

From 1985 to 1987, Stars & Stripes ’83 formed part of the Sail America Foundation campaign, representing the New York Yacht Club’s attempt to win back the Cup after the 1983 loss. The campaign was led by Dennis Conner, who served as skipper and helmsman but was not directly involved in the design of the four Stars & Stripes Twelves.

The overall campaign budget was estimated at over USD 16 million, including more than USD 1 million in sails supplied by North Sails and Sobstad. Training was conducted in the Molokai Channel, Hawaii, with Liberty serving as a primary trial horse.

Although Stars & Stripes ’83 was the first of the four Twelves built for the campaign and played a crucial development role, she ultimately served as a trial boat. The faster Stars & Stripes (US-55) was selected as the final defender and went on to win the 1987 America’s Cup.

Design Features

As rebuilt, Stars & Stripes ’83 incorporated several advanced Third Rule features, most notably a wing keel, reflecting the intense design innovation of the late Twelve Metre era. The yacht exemplified the high-risk, high-reward experimentation characteristic of Fremantle-era Cup racing, where extreme wind conditions and new hydrodynamic concepts drove rapid evolution.

Post–America’s Cup Ownership

Following the 1987 campaign, Stars & Stripes ’83 / US-53 entered civilian ownership and enjoyed an unusually long and visible post-Cup career.

Ownership and operation included:

  • America’s Cup Organizing Committee

  • Intrepid Sailing Inc. (Joseph G. Krawczyk), home port Seekonk, Massachusetts

  • S & M, Inc., home port Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

  • Vagabond Cruise (Captain Keith W. Watson), operating primarily from Hilton Head Island

During this period, the yacht was adapted for charter and experiential sailing, offering guests the opportunity to sail on a former America’s Cup Twelve.

Modifications for Charter Use

To accommodate shallow harbors and commercial operation, US-53 underwent several significant modifications. Most notably, her original wing keel was removed and replaced with a retractable or modified keel, allowing access to areas such as Harbour Town, Hilton Head. While these changes altered her original racing configuration, they enabled the yacht to remain active and accessible to the public.

In 2010, the yacht completed a USD 250,000 refit at Thunderbolt Marine.

Media and Cultural Impact

Stars & Stripes (US-53) also appeared in popular culture, most notably in the 1992 film Wind, where she sailed under the name Radiance. In the film, the actual 1987 Cup winner, US-55, was portrayed as Geronimo, while US-53 served as a prominent on-screen stand-in.

Legacy

Stars & Stripes (US-53) occupies a unique position in Twelve Metre history as:

  • The direct descendant of Spirit of America (US-34)

  • A key trial boat in the 1987 America’s Cup campaign

  • A representative example of late-era Third Rule innovation

  • One of the few America’s Cup Twelves to enjoy a long, public-facing post-Cup career as a charter yacht

While not the yacht that ultimately crossed the finish line to win the Cup, US-53 remains a tangible and influential link to the final, highly technical chapter of Twelve Metre America’s Cup racing.