Bus Mosbacher started sailing at the age of five and by the time he was nine, had his own boat, a Star-Class sloop. In 1935 and 1936, he won the midget championship in his Star, and in 1939 captured the junior championship and was runner-up in the Star Nationals.
Bus became known for his "tailing starts", a technique of following an opponent so closely that the other helmsman would neither tack nor jibe until Mosbacher broke for the line. He would also initiate furious tacking duels, counting on the superb condition of his crew to exhaust the competition.
A shrewd tactician and helmsman and a master of twelve meters, Mosbacher startled the New York Yacht Club Selection Committee in the 1958 Cup trials by sailing the older, slower VIM in close pursuit of the eventual defender COLUMBIA.
n 1962, Mosbacher skippered the four year old WEATHERLY to a hard fought victory over the Australians and their new GRETEL II by a 4-1 margin. His greatest racing triumph was in 1967 when he skippered INTREPID to four straight victories over Australia's DAME PATTIE.
His America's Cup racing philosophy is best summarized by a comment he made aboard WEATHERLY in 1962: "This is no democracy. However, I do like to hear any well thought out, reasonable suggestion. Once."
