A death in the family nearly cost local sailing legend Kirk Cooper a date with America’s Cup history.

In the lead-up to the 25th America’s Cup match in 1983, when challenger Australia II ended 132 years of American dominance, Mr Cooper was afforded the opportunity to become the first Bermudian to serve on the regatta’s jury.

It was an invitation that the former commodore of Royal Bermuda Yacht Club initially declined because of the death of his father-in-law, Edward Noltie, in Canada.

But after receiving further invites from race organisers and encouragement from his wife, Helen, the three-time Olympic sailor eventually had a change of heart and went on to leave his mark in a thrilling series that would forever alter the course of the America’s Cup from a technological standpoint.

“My father had passed away and Kirk had declined the invitation,” Mrs Cooper recalled. “But they [race organisers] prevailed upon him to take up the invite because of his experience in Olympic competition. They really wanted somebody that had a background, so they called Kirk back and said they understood his situation but could he please reconsider.

“I said, ‘go, it will keep us busy and then I won’t worry or be sad’. I remember the second call and recall Kirk’s secretary saying, ‘they are really trying to get him, so what should I say?’.

“I said ‘say yes’ because I’m sure he wants to do it.

“We went to my father’s funeral in Canada and from there we actually went straight to Newport — and that was that. He just got right into the swing of things that were going on; therewasn’t much time.

“He had lots of sailing experience and had judged regattas in North America, Europe and the Caribbean, so it wasn’t as though he was coming in from the cold because he knew different committees.”

Serving on the 25th America’s Cup match jury produced some of the proudest moments of Mr Cooper’s long and distinguished sailing career.

“It was an honour to be a part of the America’s Cup and very exciting,” the 82-year-old Pembroke resident said. “I felt quite elated to be part of the jury for the whole series and to have a front-row seat in the jury boat right there on the course.”

Never in his wildest dreams could Mr Cooper envision what was to come, as challenger Australia II, sporting a radical and heavily guarded keel, erased a two-point deficit to defeat Liberty, the American defender, in a best-of-seven series that went the distance.

Mrs Cooper said: “When we came in from the last race and Australia II had won, as we were approaching the dock at Newport, Kirk said, ‘do you hear that?’

“As we got closer, the fireworks started and we could hear the song I Come From A Land Down Under playing. It went on all night.

“The Americans were devastated. But Kirk just kept a zipped lip because the jury had to be impartial. He kept his feelings neutral.”

Mr Cooper added: “None of the jury was sad or elated, we had just done our job and that was it. That’s the way it is supposed to be.”

During the America’s Cup match, Mr Cooper and his colleagues presided over one protest filed after the second race by the challenger, who accused their rival of contravening Rule 41.

After 6½ hours of deliberation, the special five-man jury overruled the challenger’s protest, allowing Liberty to take what seemed then as a comfortable 2-0 advantage.

Behind closed doors, the pressure was on Mr Cooper and his colleagues to make the right calls with so much at stake.

“There was a lot of pressure,” Mr Cooper said. “What many people don’t know is how decisive it was among ourselves.

“Sometimes when five or six people have different opinions you just never knew how that discussion would go.”

Serving on the jury did not come without a sacrifice for Mr Cooper and his peers.

“We were not allowed to talk to or socialise with anybody for fear of being influenced, so we were isolated from everybody else,” he said. “We were treated like a breed among ourselves.”

Mr Cooper performed his duties so admirably that he was invited to serve on the race jury for the 26th America’s Cup in Perth, Australia, which he declined because of work commitments as managing partner of a local business.

“I had a lot of clients at the time and I could not just take off for two months,” he said.

Like many of his peers in the local sailing community, the founding member and past president of the Bermuda Yachting Association is elated to see Bermuda chosen as host for the 35th America’s Cup.

“I am so thrilled to see the America’s Cup coming to Bermuda,” he said. “I am absolutely over the moon. Having the America’s Cup here is wonderful and a great thing for Bermuda.”

Mr Cooper also said he was fascinated by the technological advancements seen in the America’s Cup racing yachts over the years.

“It’s unbelievable what has occurred over the last 20 years,” he said.

“Since they changed the design of the boat, the teams have aligned themselves with airplane manufacturers.

“They are sailing with a wing now, so it’s effectively lifting the boat out of the water and seeing how fast it can go.”