Billy T James America's Cup Challenge

Television (Full Length) – 1986

Comedian Billy T James presents an introduction to The America’s Cup as Team New Zealand challenges for The Auld Mug for the first time. Billy T visits Fremantle in Western Australia — where the Cup is being contested — and meets members of the Kiwi team, including skipper Chris Dickson and backer Michael Fay. Rules and strategy are explained and there’s occasional product placement for sponsor Sony. Billy’s sense of humour is never too far away but this is a largely-factual exercise from a time before the America’s Cup was (briefly) “New Zealand’s cup”.

A lot of average mums and dads at home — especially from places like Te Kuiti — tend to regard the sport of yacht racing along with soccer and men’s netball and that; but obviously, from what I’ve seen, it’s a bit rougher than that.
– Presenter Billy T James