One of a kind
Royal Thames YC – 1978: the press con- ference to launch the Lionheart campaign for the 1980 America’s Cup in Newport. In the Thames’s dining room the array of seats was filled by business suits, blazers and, yes, one or two dresses. It could have been the 1960s or 1950s as easily as the late 1970s. The speakers were Tony Boyden, head
of the challenge, and Sir John Methven, whose role at the Confederation of British Industry was to unveil the British Industry 1500 Club to help finance the bid. The challenge needed widespread buy-in
from British companies to make it fly. The mood was a neutral state of optimism that Britain was challenging again after a four- series gap since Tony Boyden’s previous efforts in 1964 with the lacklustre Sover- eign and nagging concern that the 1500 Club plan highlighted that funding was still required rather than already being in place. As the press conference wound down
Owen Aisher, patriarch of the Aisher clan and no stranger to knowing exactly what was needed to run a major yachting cam- paign, turned to me and said: ‘You asked the right question about the availability of money…’ KH Publicity, City of London – 1980: the
press conference to launch the Victory cam- paign for the 1983 America’s Cup in New- port. Kit Hobday, champion Hornet sailor and one of the new wave of free-wheeling public relations businessmen who had swept through the City of London, was sharply suited and orchestrating proceedings. But elsewhere in a sea of navy blue and
canary yellow rugger shirts and union flags was the star turn, Peter de Savary. He was wearing a blazer. Somehow the
brass buttons were larger and shinier than they had any right to be. But on de Savary, or PdS as we learned to call him, they looked just right.
38 SEAHORSE He leaned forward as he spoke, clear
eyes locking onto many of the individuals sitting in front of him with notebooks and tape recorders. Behind, TV crews focused on his tanned face. When they’d got enough of those shots they aimed at his hand, clutching an agreeably expensive Cuban cigar. No notes. No script. Just a feel-good force-field as PdS runs through his spiel. The press pack who departed at the
close were given top-quality quilted coats, embroidered not just with the Victory logo but our own names too. As many found before and afterwards, Peter de Savary was convincing, irrepressible and irresistible. Was there any doubt that Britain was returning to have another crack at the America’s Cup, this time with a First Eleven line-up (PdS loved metaphors) and bulging budget? None whatsoever. So it proved. Between them de Savary and Hobday
pieced together an exceptionally strong campaign. Where Lionheart’s potential was equated to the unloved and hopeless nationalised British Rail, compared to the American NASA-level defence efforts, the Victory effort appeared to be on the money from the outset. Phil Crebbin and Harold Cudmore were
signed up for helmsman/tactician roles. Two new boats were planned, one apiece from Lionheart’s designer Ian Howlett and
the other from the British designer of the moment, Ed Dubois. The well-regarded 12 Metre Australia was bought from Alan Bond to join Lionheart for the training and testing role. Subsequently many argued that it was
Britain’s misfortune that the whole level of the challenger game took a massive advance for the 24th Match, not least of which was running up against the invincible wing- keeled Australia II in the challenger selection final in the Newport summer of 1983. This certainly rather coloured judgements as to just how good the Victory campaign was. Before that 1983 climax plenty had
happened within the challenge to demon- strate that behind the bold front there were lots of miscues. More than anything else the America’s Cup is a management game. Well-managed teams permit the design and sailing side to prosper and it’s probably fair to say that Victory had greater potential than was realised – though still insufficient to have stopped John Bertrand’s crew and the little bit of magic that was Australia II. De Savary had plenty of good people in
good roles but what he lacked was a genuine No 2. Kit Hobday was vice-chairman of the challenge, a title fairly reflecting his status and supporting role to de Savary. A decision-taking managing director or chief executive he was not. De Savary needed a Warren Jones type,
A master of entrepreneurial diversity and mystery deals, cigar aficionado and restorer of fine yachts, ‘PdS’ remained Great Britain’s most successful America’s Cup Challenger since Sopwith. Tim Jeffery recalls Peter de Savary’s colourful life and his often overlooked part in the result of the 1983 Cup... the one that changed everything
PHOTOS ALAMY
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