Australia II Voted #1

Update: Interesting read relating to this topic

The best Valentines Day present ever???

Waking up this morning to learn that “Australia II” winning the Americas Cup in 1983 was voted the most memorable sporting moment in Australian history.

What more could you ask for!!!?

You see, I’m tired of two people smacking a yellow ball back and forth on fake grass. I’m bored of human fish swimming up and down a lane of water in extremely tight lycra. I’m over beefy bulked up guys wrestling each other to blood and bruises on a sponsor clad field. And don’t even get me started on cricket!

What makes this even better is that yachting is not considered a spectators sport or one for the masses, but rather a higher society snooty nosed activity for the rich and sometimes famous.

“Australia II” won the world’s most prestigious yachting trophy in 1983 after defeating the Americans to take home the Cup after their 132 year winning streak. Needless to say they were pretty unhappy about this and every excuse under the sun was used to explain why they didn’t win for the 132nd time.

The poll was conducted on a Melbourne radio station who voted the Socceroo’s defeat over Uruguay as the second most memorable sporting moment in Australian History, which qualified them for the Soccer World Cup.

Interesting though was Phar Lap and Don Bradman did not even rate a mention with only six of the twenty five memorable moments going to events which happened prior to 1990. Perhaps we Aussies weren’t competitive before then!

It’s about time yachting was on the top of one of these viewer/listener polls and it’s great to learn that Lleyton Hewitt, Ian Thorpe and Wally Lewis were not the focal point (I’m sure they are hanging their tennis rackets, swimming caps and footy shoes between their legs and dragging themselves home to buy a yacht.)

If I lived in Melbourne I would have voted for the “Australia II” win as well. But, if the world had to vote for the most memorable yachting moment of all time, what would they choose?

What would you choose???