As we countdown to the 35th America’s Cup The Royal Gazette will bring you one fun fact a day about the boats, the sailors, the crew, or the history of this illustrious competition. There are now 24 days until the month-long sporting spectacle gets under way.

Before joy there was misery for Australia and while victory in the America’s Cup was just around the corner, the New York Yacht Club continued its dominance of the event, winning the 24th edition in Newport, Rhodes Island, 4-1.

Held in the September of 1980, the US defender, Freedom, skippered by Dennis Conner, defeated the Australian challenger, Australia, skippered by James Hardy, four races to one. This was the last successful defence of the cup by the New York Yacht Club and the last defender designed by the naval architectural firm Sparkman & Stephens. It was the sixth unsuccessful challenge by Australia and the third by Alan Bond.

Bond, an Australian businessman noted for his high-profile dealings, did at least get some measure of revenge when he supported the successful bid to win the America’s Cup three years later, the first time the Americans lost the Cup.

Freedom won the first race by a 1min 58sec, lost the second by 28sec, and then rattled off three comprehensive victories, the biggest of which was by a margin of 3min 48sec.

Freedom had beaten Courageous and Clipper to become the defender. Australia had beaten France III, Lionheart and Sverige to become the challenger.