Reagan Welcomes America’s Cup Up From Down Under
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WASHINGTON — The America’s Cup officially came home today with President Reagan welcoming super sailor Dennis Conner and his Stars & Stripes crew back from their victory in Australia.
“Today the cup that went Down Under has come back up,” Reagan told the sailors at a White House celebration of their Feb. 4 rewinning of the prized sailing trophy.
Reagan, flanked by Vice President George Bush, joined skipper Conner in hoisting aloft the massive, 136-year-old silver cup named for the U.S. yacht that first won it and that Conner had lost to an Australian crew in 1983.
The President, sporting a bushman’s hat won in a bet with Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, called Stars & Stripes’ 4-0 win a victory for American technology and competitiveness.
Reagan also praised the crew members, who clocked 1,800 hours of sailing on their quest to restore the cup to this nation.
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