RB Sailing: 1985 Admiral's Cup

These images are from the 1985 Admiral's Cup regatta which was won by the German team of Outsider, Rubin G VIII and Diva. Britain was second and New Zealand third. The series was affected by a high retirement rate from a very fresh Fastnet race, with only three of the eighteen teams getting all their boats to the Plymouth finish (Ireland, Australia and Germany).

The German trials series were always hard fought, and 1985 was no exception (and vindicated by their Cup win) - here I-Punkt powers off to leeward with Pinta and the One Tonner Rubin G VIII close behind (photo Peter Neumann)

ItzanotherPurla, a Tony Castro 43 design, missed selection for the British team

Formidable, from the last-placed Belgium team, tries to hold off the One Tonners Jade (right) and Exador (left)

Peter Whipp's Phillipe Briand-designed One Tonner Panda put in a strong performance in the Fastnet Race to help the British team to its second place overall

The Humphreys/Dubois 43 Marionette also missed selection for the British team, and sailed for Singapore along with other unsuccessful trialists Highland Fling and Pocket Battleship. The team finished sixth overall.

Panda leads a group of One Tonners downwind

Sleeper, Lowell North's Nelson-Marek 43, finished second in the US trials. Sleeper and team-mate Sidewinder retired from the Fastnet race (Sleeper lost her mast while lying in second) and the team finished ninth overall.

Thomas Friese's I-Punkt (Mk III of the Judel/Vrolijk 42 mould, lighter with reduced freeboard and sail area), was built in four weeks - she missed selection for the German team and sailed for Austria but also retired from the windy Fastnet race (photo Peter Neumann)

Brazil's Indigo leads Highland Fling (Hong Kong) and Outsider (Germany) (photo www.blur.se)

The French Beneteau One Tonner Coyote to leeward of Formidable. Coyote was skippered by Bruno Trouble and finished ninth overall (photo www.blur.se)

The Rob Humphreys designed Jade (Larry Wooddell) - her One Ton Cup win was a great build up to the Admiral's Cup but also lost her rig in the Fastnet race, although the British team still managed second place overall

The Daniel Andrieu-designed Cifraline 3 - finished fourth in the British trials and sailed for the Papua New Guinea team alongside Sudpak and Hitchhiker II (15th overall)

Australia's Hitchhiker 2, a Frers One Tonner, sailed for the 15th placed Papua New Guinea team

New Zealand's Epic follows Austria's Pinta and crosses ahead of US yacht Sleeper (photo Guy Gurney)

Phoenix (above and below) - a late addition to the British team but was expertly sailed by Harold Cudmore and his crew to be top yacht of the series