Thanks to the US Navy, I was lucky enough to be stationed in Newport for three of the series in the '70s. In 70-71 we had rented a little house at Castle Hill Cove and within walking distance of the light. We watched th 12's get towed out to Brenton Reef for the start, and come in at the end of the day. For all of the series in that decade though, The real show was downtown; nights at the Candy Store, Sullys, the Black Pearl, with the Aussies, the Brits, and Baron Bich's Frenchmen. Ted Turner in his railroad engineers hat taking over Thames St., Charlie Morgan, Ted Hood, and all the others. On practice days competing challengers would sometimes get into inpromptu races in the harbor, and on many days, the Aussie boat could be seen out "practicing", with a line of girls, Foster's Lager in hand, on the weather rail. As I write this, I'm looking at a photo of GRETEL II my wife took and presented to me after we watched one of the races from the USCG EAGLE. The photo is faded, but like the Grecian Urn, immortal and timeless.