The Race of the Century

source: Untold: The Race of the Century

If you are watching this for pure excitement you will get a lot more by going outside and jumping off a cliff. This documentary shows raw, unfiltered, vintage sailing. Pure sailing. It has great vintage clips and tells a real life story of perseverance and achievement by multiple individuals that have been key factors in the rapid development of the sport. This documentary can be watched by anyone and is solid all around. Well worth watching. The shots that are included are over 40 years old and provides a timeless reflection of sailing before the industry became what it is today. It is also a great reflection of a time in history where many people came together in regards to a monumental sporting event.

I am a big fan of this UNTOLD series documentaries. So, almost every episode gave me good surprise, except this one. This episode only has a good title. The story is straight forward. Not twist, no surprise, no suspension. And the boating sport, what can I say, it's not a sport. The captain of the american team had a huge belly and fat. I doubt he can achieve anything in other real sport. The first 20 minutes repeatedly boast how awesome this sport is. It's not. Not many peopel play this game. And you can tell from the beginning the australian will win the game. When you know the result of the game, the thrill is gone. I don't know why this episode make in this UNTOLD serie.

Great documentary. So good it seems churlish to point out a couple of things that should have been picked up in the editing process. Both involved comments by Australia 11's skipper John Bertrand. The first was his reference to Australia being up against the might of the USA and being "a little country with only 27 million people". Australia still doesn't have 27 million people, and in 1983 it had far fewer - around 15 million. Bertrand also mentioned how contenders got a shot at winning the America's Cup "every four years...just like the Olympics" but then goes on to explain how Australia "got hammered in 1974...got hammered again in '77...went back again in 1980 and got beaten again...". And of course the triumph came three years later. Alan Bond's and Ben Lexcen's roles in the challenges of 1974, 1977 and 1980 could have been better explained, and likewise Jim Hardy's close involvement as Australia 11's back-up skipper and Bertrand's mentor, as well as Bertrand having been part of Hardy's crew in Hardy's earlier unsuccessful challenges for the America's Cup. All considered, a very good documentary.

A nicely put together documentary. The perfect amount of drama and emotion, mixed with the action of the races. My family owned a pub in Fremantle when this race was run in Western Australia in 1987, so this doco was especially interesting for me as I could finally relate to the stories I was told by my Grandad, Uncle and Dad about the '87 race in Freo and the enormity of the 1983 America's Cup for Australia and Western Australia, as I was only a toddler when this event occurred and obviously have no recollection of it. Despite my personal interest in this documentary, I would still highly recommend it to everyone. It is not drawn out like a lot of Netflix documentaries are these days. It is done perfectly and covers a monumentous moment in the history of sport really well.

The final 30 minutes of this entry in the second season of the Untold series is a total blast. The first hour basically sets up the premise of "sailing" to viewers who aren't greatly aware of the sport (like myself) and sheds light upon the nuanced journey of the Australian sailing team in 1983. The highlights include footage featuring the presence of high-profile businessman Alan Bond and madcap marine architect Ben Lexcen, alongside interviews with the Australian team skipper John Bertrand and some of his crew members. We also get to hear from Dennis Conner, the American team's skipper, giving the piece a more wholesome appeal. It boasts some crazy footage from the '70s and '80s, and a cameo from Bob Hawke, the late beloved Prime Minister of Australia at the time they won the America's cup. Even if the smaller details around the success of the Australian team may not last too long in your memory, their underdog victory and the burst of emotions surrounding it certainly will. Once again, a solid entry to close out season two of this well-made Netflix documentary series.

source: Untold: The Race of the Century

I am a big fan of this UNTOLD series documentaries. So, almost every episode gave me good surprise, except this one. This episode only has a good title. The story is straight forward. Not twist, no surprise, no suspension. And the boating sport, what can I say, it's not a sport. The captain of the american team had a huge belly and fat. I doubt he can achieve anything in other real sport. The first 20 minutes repeatedly boast how awesome this sport is. It's not. Not many peopel play this game. And you can tell from the beginning the australian will win the game. When you know the result of the game, the thrill is gone. I don't know why this episode make in this UNTOLD serie.

If you are watching this for pure excitement you will get a lot more by going outside and jumping off a cliff. This documentary shows raw, unfiltered, vintage sailing. Pure sailing. It has great vintage clips and tells a real life story of perseverance and achievement by multiple individuals that have been key factors in the rapid development of the sport. This documentary can be watched by anyone and is solid all around. Well worth watching. The shots that are included are over 40 years old and provides a timeless reflection of sailing before the industry became what it is today. It is also a great reflection of a time in history where many people came together in regards to a monumental sporting event.

Great documentary. So good it seems churlish to point out a couple of things that should have been picked up in the editing process. Both involved comments by Australia 11's skipper John Bertrand. The first was his reference to Australia being up against the might of the USA and being "a little country with only 27 million people". Australia still doesn't have 27 million people, and in 1983 it had far fewer - around 15 million. Bertrand also mentioned how contenders got a shot at winning the America's Cup "every four years...just like the Olympics" but then goes on to explain how Australia "got hammered in 1974...got hammered again in '77...went back again in 1980 and got beaten again...". And of course the triumph came three years later. Alan Bond's and Ben Lexcen's roles in the challenges of 1974, 1977 and 1980 could have been better explained, and likewise Jim Hardy's close involvement as Australia 11's back-up skipper and Bertrand's mentor, as well as Bertrand having been part of Hardy's crew in Hardy's earlier unsuccessful challenges for the America's Cup. All considered, a very good documentary.