Dennis Conner’s 1988 Catamaran Stars & Stripes in Biscayne Bay

We were so excited to see Dennis Conner’s 1988 catamaran, “Stars & Stripes”, in No Name Harbour today! She was launched on May 24, 1988, and christened on June 4, 1988, in San Diego.

Conner famously said in an interview about his Americas Cup entry, published in an interview for the Australian review The Bulletin on December 15, 1987 “…the boats to be very big, very radical, and very controversial. The contest will not be a sailboat race. It will be a design lottery in which the sailors will have little or nothing to do with the outcome. In one word, the 1988 America’s Cup challenge will be bizarre.”

Those words would prove Conner right and the victory of his small 18.30-meter catamaran, “Stars & Stripes”, against the huge 27.43-meter monohull, New Zealand would remain forever the most bizarre America’s Cup.

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Dennis Conner In 1988 America’s Cup

Estelle Cockcroft Catamaran Guru Co-Founder

Estelle Cockcroft is a seasoned sailor, catamaran expert, and co-founder of Catamaran Guru. With over 70,000 NM sailed and 30+ years aboard, she empowers new cruisers with expert advice on liveaboard life, yacht ownership, and ocean adventures.

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