"The America's Cup and Newport, 1930-1983"

The IYRS Maritime Library is pleased to announce its new exhibit, “The America’s Cup and Newport, 1930-1983”. With photographs and films, blueprint plans, documents, flags and more, the exhibit focuses on life in the city during the twelve occasions these races came to Newport. The exhibit is free to the public, and the library is open Wednesday–Saturday, 12-5pm. The exhibit will run to the end of the year. For over fifty years Newport was the home of the America’s Cup races. With three challenges in the 1930s, a hiatus during the 1940s and much of the 50s, the races returned in 1958, and from then on, approximately every four years, the racing world descended on Newport. The challengers in the 1930s, and again in 1958 and 1964, were British, but the others were all Australian, and it was the crew of Australia II in 1983 that finally won the Cup from the United States. Colorful figures dot the history of these races, such as Sir Thomas Lipton in 1930 and Ted Turner in the 1970s. Lipton’s fifth and final attempt to win the cup in 1930, on Shamrock V, was again unsuccessful, however his sportsmanship was widely appreciated in this country, and the exhibit includes both a photograph of Lipton accepting a silver trophy modeled after the Old Stone Mill, presented to him on behalf of the grateful citizens of Newport, as well as his personal signal flag from Shamrock V. The exhibit includes numerous photographs of Ted Turner; in discussion with Ted Hood before the races, and victorious off Bannister’s Wharf, as well as walking triumphantly along America’s Cup Avenue, after winning in 1977. As well as many uncommon photographs of shipyards, celebrations, and behind-the-scenes happenings, the exhibit includes numerous films, ranging from a rare color film of the 1937 races, the 1958 trial

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