In the fall of 1984, America’s Cup yacht Courageous joined the long list of boats that have had encounters with Bermuda’s infamous reefs.

While heading out to the Great Sound, the American 12-metre yacht ran aground in Hamilton Harbour on a shoal that bears the yacht’s name to this day.

“Timmy Sterns ran it aground just east of Two Rock Passage on that little ledge that comes out there,” recalled former Royal Bermuda Yacht Club flag officer Scott King. “People told him it was there, but I guess he had a mental lapse.”

Paul Doughty, the RBYC archivist, added: “The Syndicate was partnered with the Princess Hotels and they had a fundraising weekend.

“A lot of potential donors had come down and the club was asked to be the race committee because they were going to stage three races in the Great Sound. But on the way out Courageous struck the shoal at World’s End and suffered some damage to her winged keel.”

Fortunately, the yacht emerged from her ordeal with minor damage.

“She didn’t suffer much damage,” Mr King added. “Those boats were very solid with the lead and stuff.”

Courageous was one of two America’s Cup 12-metres in Bermuda’s waters at the time, the other being Defender. Both yachts were shipped to the Island to train during the winter months in preparation for the 1987 America’s Cup in Perth, Australia.

American Mr King had direct involvement in those preparations. “In the fall of 1984 the Defender and Courageous, a 12-metre syndicate sponsored by Leonard Green, was invited to Bermuda to train for the America’s Cup being held in 1986/87 in Perth, Australia,” he said. “The team lived at the Hamilton Princess and both boats were moored down in front.

“I had sailed on Defender in 1982/83 in Newport, Rhode Island as an alternate, which means I did a little bit of everything on the boat.

“She was skippered by Tom Blackhaller with Gary Jobson as tactician and Mike Toppa, Paul Cayard, Rod Davis, Pete Stalkus, Ken Keefe, Bruce Epke, Jim Plagenoff, John Mulderig and Dana Timmer as crew. A really outstanding bunch, many of whom are still recognisable in the sport.

“A year later Defender and her stablemate, Courageous, were purchased and shipped to Bermuda.

“I was called to come down as an extra coach and help with the maintenance. Most of the young team in Bermuda had never sailed 12-metres so training was a priority. My real role was off the boat while I was here, but sometimes I would sail just to put another knowledgable guy onboard.”

During a nearly two-month stay on the Island, Mr King met his future bride, Beryl, whose father is none other than legendary sailor Warren Brown. “I arrived on Halloween and a week later I was suffering from stomach ‘issues’ so my roommate accompanied me to King Edward Memorial Hospital,” Mr King said.

“There he introduced me to my future bride who was in the Emergency Room for a post-op visit with Colin Cooper. I wasn’t well, but I knew enough to ask her out for dinner when I got better.

“Most of the gentlemen I was staying with were focused on the nurses at the hospital, who were all living next door, but I took a different tack. It was just totally happen-stance and I kind of knew right away. You can accurately say the America’s Cup was directly responsible for my becoming Bermudian and making this my home for the past 25 years.

“After Beryl and I were married we spent the first six months together in Fremantle [Australia] where I was part of Rod Davis’s Eagle syndicate.”

Mr King is proud to be the son-in-law of a sailor of Mr Brown’s stature. Mr Brown has logged 300,000 miles at sea and taken part in the Newport Bermuda Race 20 times on 11 different boats.

Mr King said. “I think he continues to be a great ambassador for Bermuda and Bermuda sailing.”

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