Like Moths To The Cup Flame

Both Jim Hardy, skipper of Australia, and Ben Lexcen have known the best and the worst of Cup quests. In 1974 Hardy was at the helm of Lexcen's first 12-meter design, Southern Cross, when she lost four straight to Courageous—three times by wide margins. Four years earlier, at the helm of Gretel II, Hardy won one race against the defender Intrepid and finished decisively first in another, only to lose it because of a starting-line foul. Such was the quality of Gretel II that in some conditions the U.S. skipper, Ficker, was reluctant to engage her in a tacking duel and was able to pull out one race only by applying loose cover to his rival and playing the wind shifts. At the thought of what might have been, Hardy merely shrugs. "Let's put it this way," he says. "Based on my record, it is safe to say I can guarantee you at least second place in the America's Cup anytime."

In 1977 Lexcen's second 12-meter, Australia, also lost four straight to Courageous, but never by embarrassing margins. As redesigned by him for the present attempt, Australia is better still. Her sails and spars are better, her crew eternally willing. For all that, Lexcen is not dazzled by the prospect of victory. "If Australia won the Cup," he says, "who around the world would notice? If the entire continent of Australia sank into the sea, it probably would not make the newspapers in Little Rock, Arkansas. I spent four years in Europe. I looked in the papers for news of my own country. The only thing I remember reading was that some Australian had broken the world spaghetti-eating record."

The Aussies are still moths to the flame, but too wise now ever to be badly burned, or foolishly consumed by the importance of the affair.