Putting a shine on the America’s Cup
As the America’s Cup takes a hold of the global sports stage this year, one Hawke’s Bay jeweller has reminisced about a special day three decades ago when he got to hold the trophy.
Unio Goldsmith owner Bruce Jackson was working as a jeweller in Perth when the America’s Cup trophy, also known as the “Auld Mug”, landed on his workshop bench and he was asked to hand-polish it.
Mr Jackson said it took “hours and hours” to take off a slick of varnish the New York Yacht Club had applied to it after holding it for 132 years.
“They held it for years and years and rather than polish it they just varnished it so they didn’t have to take it out of the cupboard and polish it every year.”
He chuckled as he remembered that several Australians he was working with at the time didn’t want him holding the trophy.
Both New Zealand and Australia were vying for the title in the competition at the time.
“It actually came in with an armed guard”, although all guards were armed in Australia at the time, and he stood there while the work was being done.
Mr Jackson said it was a great moment, adding that a workmate had taken a photograph that, although grainy, proved he did in fact hold the America’s Cup all those years ago.
“I was possibly the first Kiwi to hold the America’s Cup, although there could have possibly been others who had polished it before me.”