Less well known is the huge effort that went into that campaign 65-years ago, and its uniquely Australian “hands-on” character. When they were not actually sailing, everyone involved contributed their skills, experience and plain hard yakka.

“Twenty miles an hour under sail, which is by far the greatest speed ever attained with canvas and a hull drawn through water, has been made by a catamaran…A sail on the new craft, which carries a modern canvas rig, is said to be not easily forgotten, particularly in a fresh breeze.”

It was an easy but painful decision to abandon SOLUTION. She was clearly sinking. I estimated  that the water was rising an inch every ten minutes and it was now completely covering the  floorboards, with 8 inches to go before it covered the main batteries located beneath the lower  bunks in the main cabin.

'Exceptionally fast in the hands of a highly talented, motivated and sharply focused crew, Challenge 12 was bristling with potential', wrote journalist Bruce Stannard, who covered the 1983 America's Cup series for the ABC and The Age.

“I was still in school in ’83 and was on the dock during the Trials in 1977 when Ted Turner and Gary Jobson rushed by with cameras following them,” said Courageous Skipper Dawn Riley, who would go on to sail in four America’s Cup races and two Whitbread Round the World races. “It made a big impression on a 13-year-old from Detroit!”

So perhaps almost 40 years after AUSTRALIA II’s victory and with only 18 months to the 37th iteration of the event in Barcelona , readers might be interested in this fascinating program, which covers DAME PATTIE’s predecessor’s campaign in 1962.

The adventure was beginning and it was nothing like what I anticipated. Years, months, and days of prep work were forgotten. We just wanted to make it through the evening of squalls and then the Gulf Stream safely reminding ourselves that this trip was our vacation time.

“We’re totally thrilled to have the participation of our Australian mates, but there are ethical protocols within the field of archaeology that everyone should respect.”