Sailing Away – All of Us (High Quality)

I know I’m showing my age, but I was lucky enough to be in Fremantle in 1986 for the build-up to the America’s Cup, and it’s something I’ve never forgotten.

There was a real sense that New Zealand was taking on the world. KZ7, Kiwi Magic, was unlike anything people had seen before. The “Plastic Fantastic” showed just how innovative we could be, and as a Kiwi who loved boats, it was fantastic to be there and experience it firsthand.

Fremantle seemed to turn Kiwi. The Fremantle Hotel became home base for the New Zealand campaign, Steinlager was on tap, and everywhere you went there was this incredible enthusiasm for what our little country was trying to achieve.

And then there was “Sailing Away.” It became almost an anthem for the campaign. Even today, when I hear it, it takes me straight back to Fremantle and that feeling of Kiwi pride.

I still have my original KZ7 red socks from those days. Nearly 40 years later, they’re a small reminder of a very special time in New Zealand sailing and a pretty special time in my own life.

We didn’t win the Cup that year, but in many ways Fremantle was where New Zealand’s America’s Cup story really began.

NZ’s Americas Cup Challenge (1986)