It was September 1983, and the New York Yacht Club had successfully defended the America’s Cup for 132 years, the longest winning streak in sporting history. The 12 Metre Liberty was prepared to mount a defense against the Royal Perth Yacht Club’s challenger, Australia II. In this 6.5- by 9-inch gouache painting, artist Frank Wagner depicts Liberty during the series of match races where the Americans would ultimately lose the Cup.

Australia II was controversial from the outset, with a revolutionary winged keel that prompted the New York Yacht Club to allege that she was not a legal 12 Metre. The club also claimed the keel design was the work of Dutch engineers rather than the yacht’s designer, Ben Lexcen. This would have disqualified the racer, which was representing Australia. Although the yacht was ultimately allowed to compete, these early controversies intensified international media attention.

The race series kicked off Sept. 14 in Newport, Rhode Island. Liberty took the first two races by margins of more than a minute after Australia II suffered mechanical failures. Australia claimed the third race, the United States the fourth, and Australia the fifth and sixth. This was the first time the America’s Cup had required a sixth race, let alone a seventh.

During that final race Sept. 26, Australia II crossed the finish line with a winning margin of 41 seconds, becoming the first successful challenger since 1851. The victory was celebrated across Australia, with the United States reclaiming the Cup during the next competition, in 1987. 

An artist like Wagner was ideal to capture the scene. Born in 1931 in Brightwaters, New York, he started painting at age 5 and went on to become one of the most respected commercial artists in America. He attended the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Pratt Institute, with postgraduate work at the Rijksmuseum School in Amsterdam. In his 20s, Wagner returned to the United States and worked as an illustrator for airlines, automobile manufacturers and publishers. Later, he became known for marine paintings, receiving an Award of Excellence at the Mystic International Exhibition in 1988.

His painting of the 1992 America’s Cup Race was the official limited edition print of the event. His last major work was commissioned by the Royal Engineers and presented to their patron, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in May 1996. Wagner died the same year.

This article was originally published in the March 2026 issue