I remember exactly what I was doing when Dennis Conner and the New York Yacht Club lost the America’s Cup to Australia in 1983. I was a 15-year-old New Englander who’d been raised to assume that the America’s Cup would ALWAYS be the property of the NYYC. And the Cup matches would ALWAYS be held off Newport, Rhode Island.
That may sound pretty arrogant now. But back then, the NYYC had successfully defended the “America’s Cup” against all challengers for 132 years. So, when you’re a teenaged-American-preppie, and your team’s winning streak 132-years-long, I guess a little arrogance is to be expected (and hopefully forgiven)!
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