Return of the America’s Cup

At 4 o’clock in the morning four years ago I was sitting with my eyes glued to the television screen. One of the most amazing races was coming to an end. The 12-meter yacht, “Australia II,” was crossing the line in front of Dennis Conner’s “Liberty.”

An America’s Cup winning streak (held by you, the readers of this paper) which lasted for 132 years finally came to an end.

Now, just as I was four years ago, my eyes are watering with emotion, Conner who lost the cup in Newport took it back from us in Fremantle-Western Australia; my sadness is as deep now as my joy was exhilarating then.

A few months ago, my family and I were fortunate enough to travel through your beautiful country. We were delighted! Every American we met was affable, warm and fair dinkum. Dennis Conner, the skipper of “Stars and Stripes” and his crew have shown the world that the Americans are indeed the way we saw them during our vacation: smart, tenacious, extremely competent and good sports.

Today I am very sad to see “the America’s Cup” leave Australia. But I am glad to see it going back to its country of long standing.

Your readers can be rest assured that they have some true blue and faithful friends down under in Australia; even if some parts of the world dislike or even hate the Americans.

This victory is more than winning a race, it has shown the rest of the world that the people of United States have got the spirit to come back fighting and I don’t mind that at all.

People of America, congratulations, you have done the job well. But watch out for the boxing kangaroo in 1990 in San Diego!

BERTRAND CADART

Victoria, Australia