Abracadabra USA-50 History

Year: 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii and designed by Australian, Ian Burns
Length: 80 feet
Weight: 50,000 pounds (85% of the weight is in the ballast)
Mast height: 114 feet (11 stories)
Art: Mobile Mural with life-sized aquatic illustrations by world renowned marine artist Wyland

The Hawaiian yachting syndicate Abracadabra 2000 with John Kolius' Aloha Racing out of Waikiki Yacht Club was a unique entry in the millennium-era America’s Cup that merged orthopedic science, high-performance naval engineering, and fine art. Led by surgeon Dr. James Andrews and skipper John Kolius, Abracadabra 2000 utilized two vessels, USA-54 and USA-50. The boats were distinguished by 2 different marine murals painted by world-renowned marine artist Wyland.

Aloha Racing decided to deploy their secondary vessel, USA-50 in a high-stakes effort to avoid elimination from the America’s Cup. This boat, nicknamed "Mr. Quirky" for its unpredictable yet potentially superior speed, replaced their more conservative craft in hopes of securing the numerous victories required to reach the Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals. Skipper John Kolius acknowledged the radical design changes and difficult handling of the new boat, yet he viewed this risky transition as the team's only path to climbing the rankings.

The yachting world identified USA-50 not merely as a racing machine but as one of the most significant intersections of marine art and high-performance naval architecture in the history of the America’s Cup. Representing the Aloha Racing syndicate from Hawaii during the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, USA-50 challenged the traditional aesthetic of grand-prix sailing. While most syndicates opted for sterile, performance-oriented liveries, Aloha Racing utilized its hull to make a statement as a mobile mural, increase media visibility and served as a platform for environmental advocacy.

During the 2000 America's Cup challenge, Abracadabra USA-54 defeated Team Dennis Conner's USA-55 in preliminary round robin races in 2 out of 3 races. The mathematical constraints of the International America's Cup Class rule, the logistical struggles of preparing the yachts in Auckland led to USA-54s team ninth-place finish in the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup. Ultimately, the campaign's lasting legacy as a pioneer of sports marketing was at a final peak for heavyweight monohull racing before the sport transitioned to modern foiling technology.

After the 2000 America’s Cup, USA-50 was sold to the Oracle team, which used it as a training horse for their 2003 America’s Cup campaign in New Zealand. It eventually came to San Diego where it sat on the hard for many years and was used for parts and support by a local charter company which also owned USA-34 and USA-54.

Those boats have moved on to Chicago, and USA-50 changed owners a few times. Mark Strube, our crew boss and captain, has been training, racing and maintaining Abracadabra USA-50 since 1999! Eventually he was given the task of putting the boat back together.

Abracadabra USA-50 has been restored to her nearly original glory and is now a registered USCG vessel, ready for charter. The air-brushed whales, dolphins, swordfish, and marlin are still there…we just hope the Southern California sea life can handle it.