Louis Vuitton first sponsored the America’s Cup challenger series in 1983.
That sponsorship created the Louis Vuitton Cup, a preliminary competition in which yacht teams raced to earn the right to challenge the reigning America’s Cup defender. The partnership gave Louis Vuitton an influential role in one of sailing’s most prestigious international events.
The inaugural Louis Vuitton Cup took place off Newport, Rhode Island, during the 1983 America’s Cup cycle. Australia II won the challenger competition, defeating Victory ’83 in the final, and advanced to face the New York Yacht Club’s defender, Liberty, in the America’s Cup match.
The year can be confusing because later Louis Vuitton Cup editions were held in 1987, 1992, 1995 and other America’s Cup cycles. Those dates mark subsequent challenger series, not the beginning of Louis Vuitton’s sponsorship. The Louis Vuitton Cup name returned in later editions after other sponsors briefly held the naming rights.