View source for Admiral's Cup

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2019}}
The '''Admiral's Cup''' is an international yachting regatta.  For many years it was known as the unofficial world championship of offshore racing.<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/sailing-walker-flies-home-flag-in-relaunched-admirals-cup-586648.html Independent Newspaper, England, 2003]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/1256265.stm BBC news on 2001 event]</ref>

The Admiral's Cup regatta was started in 1957 and was normally a biennial event (occurring in odd-numbered years) which was competed for between national teams.  However the event was not staged in 2001 and was last held in 2003.  It was cancelled at short notice in 2005. After this hiatus the Admiral's Cup returns in 2025 which 15 teams entered from around the world.

The 2003 event did not follow the normal format and allowed entries from any yacht club affiliated to a national authority, thus allowing the possibility of several teams per country.

The regatta was based at [[Cowes]] on the [[Isle of Wight]] off southern [[England]] and was organised by the [[Royal Ocean Racing Club]].

==History: 1957–1999==
From 1957 to 1999 the cup was competed for between national teams, each having three boats.  Initially only [[Great Britain]] and the [[United States]] took part but, in later years, many other teams also participated.  The [[Fastnet race]] was part of the Admiral's Cup during this time.

The Australians won for the first time in 1967, the winning boat—Mercedes III—designed by Ted Kaufman and [[Ben Lexcen|Bob Miller]] (later Ben Lexcen), who went on to success in the America's Cup.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://admiralscup.rorc.org/history/122.html | title=1967: The Aussies' Big Success | date=2009 | access-date=10 January 2016 | author=Bob Fisher | publisher=Royal Ocean Racing Club Ltd | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304214942/http://admiralscup.rorc.org/history/122.html | archive-date=4 March 2016 | url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1971 the [[British Prime Minister]], [[Edward Heath]], captained one of the winning boats.<ref>{{cite web | title =1971: Admiral's Cup triumph for Heath | work =On This Day - 11 August | publisher =BBC | date =11 August 1971 | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/11/newsid_2974000/2974996.stm | access-date =2009-07-28 }}</ref>

==Recent history==
The 2003 event, the last held, was planned to be based in [[Dún Laoghaire]] in Ireland, but this was changed at short notice for reasons that are still unclear.<ref>[http://archive.dailyecho.co.uk/2002/11/9/58579.html Southern Daily Echo, November 2002]</ref><ref>[http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/archived_Detail.asp?key=1230 Scuttlebutt News]</ref>  In addition, instead of being a competition between national teams, the event was competed between [[yacht club]]s, each with two boats.<ref>[http://www.ussailing.org/offshoreteams/teams.asp US Sailing 2003 Events page] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513042751/http://www.ussailing.org/offshoreteams/teams.asp |date=May 13, 2008 }}</ref>

The 2005 event was cancelled only months before the event was to be held,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.rorc.org/admiralscup/ |title=RORC Admiral's Cup page. Checked April 2008 |access-date=2005-07-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050426181118/http://rorc.org/admiralscup/ |archive-date=2005-04-26 |url-status=dead }}</ref> after only two teams had entered.<ref>{{cite web |title=Admiral’s Cup cancelled |url=https://www.yachtingworld.com/news/admirals-cup-cancelled-24447 |website=Yachting World |access-date=8 October 2018 | date=April 7, 2005}}</ref>

Although the RORC (Royal Ocean Racing Club) was looking into reviving the event for 2011,<ref>{{cite web | title =RORC Enlist Skandia To Help Revive the Admiral’s Cup | work =Admiral's Cup | publisher =Royal Ocean Racing Club | url =http://www.rorc.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11&Itemid=20 | access-date =2009-07-28 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last =Alexander | first =Stuart | title =Admiral's Cup could be revived | work =The Independent | publisher =Independent News and Media | date =3 June 2009 | url =https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/sailing/admirals-cup-could-be-revived-1696091.html | access-date =2009-07-28 }}</ref> this did not happen.

RORC has announced the event will run in July 2025.<ref>{{cite web |title=2025 Admiral's Cup - Cowes, Isle of Wight |url=https://www.rorc.org/admiral-s-cup |website=Royal Ocean Racing Club |access-date=23 January 2024 |location=London}}</ref>

==Winners==
{|class="wikitable"
!Year!!Winner!!Top Placed Yacht
|-
|1957 ||{{GBR}}
|-
|1959||{{GBR}}
|-
|1961||{{USA}}
|-
|1963 ||{{GBR}}||Clarion of Wight (GBR)
|-
|1965||{{GBR}}
|-
|1967 ||{{AUS}}|| Mercedes III (AUS)
|-
|1969||{{USA}} || Red Rooster (USA)
|-
|1971||{{GBR}}
|-
|1973||{{GER}}
|-
|1975 ||{{GBR}}
|-
|1977 ||{{GBR}}||Imp (USA)
|-
|1979 ||{{AUS}}||Police Car (AUS)
|-
|1981||{{GBR}}
|-
|1983||{{GER}}
|-
|1985 ||{{GER}}
|-
|1987 ||{{NZL}}||Propaganda (NZL)
|-
|1989 ||{{GBR}}||Jamarella (GBR)
|-
|1991||{{FRA}}||[[Corum (watchmakers)|Corum]] Saphir (FRA)
|-
|1993||{{GER}}
|-
|1995 ||{{ITA}}
|-
|1997||{{USA}}
|-
|1999||{{NED}}
|-
|2001
|cancelled
|-
|2003 ||{{AUS}}||Wild Oats (AUS)
|-
|2005
|cancelled
|-
|2007
|cancelled
|}

==References==
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==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050426181118/http://rorc.org/admiralscup/ The Admiral's Cup] (on the [http://www.rorc.org/ RORC] site)

{{Offshore sailing races}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1957]]
[[Category:Sport on the Isle of Wight]]
[[Category:Sailing competitions in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Offshore sailing competitions]]