"I remember very clearly when we were down three to one against the Defender in 1983. We came back to fight another day. That's exactly how I feel right now," declared a spirited John Bertrand just hours after oneAustralia (AUS 35) sank from under him during a Louis Vuitton Cup race. Bertrand said the team would continue its campaign, sailing its 'old' boat, oneAustralia (AUS 31).

The following day, March 6th, 1995, France3 (FRA 37) sailed the race alone for a victory because the Australians had not finished preparing their boat and were unable to obtain a lay day. But AUS 31 appeared on the water the next day, and sailed the last two races of the 4th Round Robin, beating Sydney '95 (AUS 29) by 1:54 and Tag Heuer Challenge (NZL 39) by 57 seconds. Bertrand's impressive campaign was on its way again, even if AUS 31 was a touch slower than its sister, oneAustralia (AUS 35). Bertrand succeeded in securing second place in the Semi Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup over NZL 39 and would advance to the Final, losing 5 to 1 to Black Magic (NZL 32). But what might have happened in that Louis Vuitton Cup Final if the Australians had been able to sail AUS 35?

Actually, AUS 35 was launched quite late in San Diego. So the Australians were able to spend a lot of time sailing and testing their first boat, AUS-31 against Syd Fisher's boat, AUS 29 (also a Fluid Thinking drawing) and against Spirit of Australia (AUS 21), an IACC (International America's Cup Class) from the first, 1992-generation boats, designed by Iain Murray. AUS 29 had been endowed with a bulb suspended from three fins. So it was no surprise when Murray designed AUS 31, the hull was canoe shaped (narrow and pinched aft, the typical profile of the 1995 generation boats), and it was fitted with a tandem-keel (bulb suspended from two mobile fins).

In the second IACC World Championships sailed in San Diego in the autumn of 1994, the Australian yacht dominated the 1992 generation, as well as the new, 1995-generation Japan '94 (JPN-30). But by the time it reached the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, oneAustralia looked much more classical, with a rudder and one keel, the bulb fitted with huge wings well aft, fixed to a fin with a trimmer. But it was unable to beat Black Magic.

The dramatic sinking of AUS 35 was shown on television all across the world. After seeing how fast the story and images of the sinking spread, John Bertrand was inspired to assist in the creation of an internet sports-news company which was soon covering round the world races as well as the America's Cup in 1999/2000.

Meanwhile, AUS 31 was repatriated to Australia after its loss to New Zealand. In 1997, Iain Murray tried to get it into the impending battle for the Cup in Auckland, beginning in 1999. In the end, AUS 31 was acquired first by John Kolius' Aloha Racing syndicate and then by Paul Cayard and his AmericaOne team. Cayard used the boat to train relentlessly in Auckland during the Southern summer of 1998-99.

AUS 31 was eventually raced in the 1999 Louis Vuitton Cup by James Spithill for Syd Fisher's Young Australia syndicate. oneAustralia is now dry-docked in Ballast Point Yard, situated on the Birchgrove Peninsula, in Sydney Harbour.

JT/pr

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