The 1st Super Mini America's Cup World Regatta was held on December 12 and 13 of 1986 at the Mission Bay Model Pond in San Diego, California. Skippers from 5 countries -- the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Bahamas and Japan -- took part in the competition.

At the International Invitational (a preliminary race for participants who were edged out in the competition to be their country's national representative) held on the 12th, Skipper Atwell from Canada punished the Japanese competition with his outstanding technique and took home the victory. At the grand party held and that the evening, the feeling of enthusiasm was especially tangible. Competitors from each country eagerly exchanged information on yacht tuning -- and some even hurried back to their rooms to make adjustments to their yachts.

For the final race on Saturday the 13th, a great number of people including families and children gathered to watch the event. Many people brought lunches and watched the race as if they themselves were actually participating. As the competition unfolded, everyone including the spectators in the gallery sat speechless, completely taken up in the fierceness of the competition.

At the end of the race, having defeated Skipper Igawa from Japan, Skipper Briar Atwell of Canada basked in the glory of becoming the event's first Defending Champion.

After the race, the President of the American Model Yacht Association Mr. Bob De Beau praised the event and said that out of all the model yacht races over the past 19 years this one had been the most exciting. The good reviews continued in a large write up in several periodicals including the Los Angeles Times and several minutes of airtime on ABC TV.

from "AG News" in 1987