Copyright © London Corinthian
Sailing Club, 9 Dec 1999BC-SPORT SAILING AMERICAS Dennis Conner rips his boat apart.
by John Roberson
AUCKLAND, December 5 (Reuters) - Dennis Conner has suffered a set back in his bid to regain the America's Cup, after ripping the back out of his boat, Stars & Stripes, today on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.
Conner's team were preparing to start their race against Italy's Prada Challenge, in moderate conditions of 10 to 12 knot winds and a flat sea, when the tension on the rig ripped a bulkhead out of the back of the boat.
For a few moments after the accident Stars & Stripes was also in danger of losing her mast, but the crew worked quickly to stablize the rig, and put emergency support in place.
Conner commented this evening, "I guess this is just part of the America's Cup, and it makes you appreciate how nice it is when things go right."
The Start & Stripes team have requested, and been granted, 48 hours in which to repair their boat, but neither Conner, nor his General Manager, Bill Trenkle, could say how long the work would take.
In other races today, America True beat AmericaOne in the battle of the San Francisco challenges, while the New York Yacht Club's Young America, Le Defi Francais and the Spanish Challenge all chalked up victories.
Paul Cayard and his AmericaOne team came off the starting line with a good advantage over America True, skippered by John Cutler, and maintained that lead throughout the first lap of the race.
However on the second lap Cutler and his crew worked the wind well to draw level, and were then able to grab the lead when Cayard's navigator made a mistake in finding the next mark.
The yellow America True held on through some very close and tough racing to take the gun by a slender 20 seconds - about three boat's lengths.
After breaking their mast on Friday, the Swiss Fast 200 team have given up trying to salvage their challenge, and withdrawn from the Louis Vuitton Cup.
They were offered a spare mast by the Spanish, but under Cup rules were unable to accept the offer, and have decided that it is impossible to repair the broken one.
Eleven challenges from seven nations started the Louis Vuitton Cup in October, and the eventual winner will face Team New Zealand in the America's Cup starting in February next year.
BC-SPORT SAILING AMERICAS
Spain defeats America True, and Conner protests.
by John Roberson
AUCKLAND, December 4 (Reuters) - The Spanish Challenge, skippered by Luis Doreste, pulled off a big upset today, when they defeated John Cutler's America True by 22 seconds in the Louis Vuitton Cup today.
Luis Doreste, a double Olympic Gold Medallist, controlled a very close tussle with America True, grabbing a 21 second advantage - about one and a half boat lengths - at the first mark, and clinging onto his advantage to take the gun by 22 seconds.
Doreste, who recently deposed Pedro Campos as skipper, commented after the race, "it was a very exciting race, we were within two boat lengths all the race, we had to keep concentrating to control them."
On the water, the Nippon Challenge, in the hands of Peter Gilmour, also inflicted a 45 second defeat on Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes, but Conner has filed a protest that his boat was hampered by the spectator fleet.
In other races, ninth placed Le Defi Francais, with Bertrand Pace in charge, scored an impressive 46 second victory over Hawaii's Aloha Challenge, under the command of John Kolius.
Paul Cayard and his San Francisco based AmericaOne team, had an easy victory over the Young Australia crew, who twice suffered blown out sails, after tying Cayard in knots at the start, to control the opening minutes of the race.
The New York Yacht Club's Young America sailed a lonely race, to collect nine points for a win, with Switzerland's Fast 2000 unable to compete, having broken their mast yesterday.
The luckless Swiss, who need the agreement of all other challengers, and the defenders to use a mast offered to them by the Spanish, have failed to get unanimous support.
The Prada team, from Italy, had a bye today, but still hold the top place on the scoreboard, but their advantage is reduced to just one point, from AmericaOne.
The weather on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf was perfect today, probably the best since the Louis Vuitton Cup start on 18th October, with 16 to 18 knots of south westerly wind, and bright sunshine.
Eleven Challenges from seven nations are contesting the Louis Vuitton Cup, with the winner going on to challenge New Zealand for the America's Cup in February next year.
BC-SPORT AMERICAS RESULTS
Sailing-Louis Vuitton Cup results - provisional.
AUCKLAND, December 4 (Reuters) - Results on Saturday from the third day of round three, of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the eliminator series for the America's Cup challenge (U.S. unless stated):
Race 3
Nippon Challenge (Peter Gilmour, Japan) beat Stars & Stripes (Dennis Conner)
Le Defi Francaise (Betrand Pace, France) beat Aloha Challenge (John Kolius)
AmericaOne (Paul Cayard) beat Young Australia (James Spithill, Australia)
Spanish Challenge (Luis Doreste, Spain) beat America True (John Cutler)
Young America (Ed Baird) beat Fast 2000 (Marc Pajot, Switzerland)
Standings after day 3, round robin 3 (each race worth 9 points):
|
Prada Challenge |
Italy |
Francesco de Angelis |
64 pts |
|
AmericaOne |
U.S.A. |
Paul Cayard |
63 |
|
Nippon Challenge |
Japan |
Peter Gilmour |
56.5 * |
|
America True |
U.S.A. |
John Cutler |
47 |
|
Stars & Stripes |
U.S.A. |
Dennis Conner |
45.5 * |
|
Spanish Challenge |
Spain |
Luis Doreste |
35 |
|
Young America |
U.S.A. |
Ed Baird |
33 |
|
Aloha Challenge |
U.S.A. |
John Kolius |
25 |
|
Le Defi Francais |
France |
Bertrand Pace |
23 |
|
Young Australia 2000 |
Australia |
James Spithill |
9 |
|
Fast 2000 |
Switzerland |
Marc Pajot |
8 |
*Nippon Challenge and Stars & Stripes have both been penalized half a point for causing damage to other boats during the first round.
BC-SPORT SAILING AMERICAS
Crash and burn sailing on the Hauraki Gulf.
by John Roberson
AUCKLAND, December 3 (Reuters) - It was a day that kept the pulse racing on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf, with winds close to the upper limit for competition causing thrills and spills on the second day of round three of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Chalking up victories were, the Spanish Challenge, Nippon Challenge, Italy's Prada team, and the two San Francisco based challenges, America True and AmericaOne.
The Spanish challenge had an easy win, after Switzerland's Fast 2000, skippered by Marc Pajot, lost their mast over the side, in winds that were gusting up to 25 knots.
Peter Gilmour, at the helm of Nippon Challenge, inflicted a crushing defeat on the New York Yacht Club's Young America team, pushing them down to eighth place on the scoreboard.
Leaders on the scoreboard, Italy's Prada team were pushed all the way by the lowly French crew, who are currently in ninth place on the ladder.
In the all American battle between Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes and America True, skippered by John Cutler, it was the San Franciscans who got the better of a long and hard battle.
Paul Cayard and his much fancied AmericaOne crew walked away from Hawaii's Aloha Challenge, to put themselves back into second place on the scoreboard, for the first time since the end of the first round.
Although Nippon Challenge beat Young America by 4 minutes, 55 seconds, this was certainly the match of the day for the first two of three rounds, with the boats rarely more than a few yards apart.
The Americans had a slender advantage coming off the line, but the Japanese had grabbed a 12 second advantage at the first mark, which was reduced to 9 seconds by the second turn.
It was at mark four that skipper Peter Gilmour, under threat from his rivals, pulled an extremely smart move, that saw the Americans with two penalties, and left flailing in total disarray.
Eleven teams from seven nations are contesting the Louis Vuitton Cup, the eliminations series, to select a challenger to meet New Zealand in the America's Cup match, starting in February next year.
Sailing-Louis Vuitton Cup results - provisional.
AUCKLAND, December 3 (Reuters) - Results on Friday from the second day of round three, of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the eliminator series for the America's Cup challenge (U.S. unless stated):
Race 2
Spanish Challenge (Luis Doreste, Spain) beat Fast 2000 (Marc Pajot, Switzerland)
Nippon Challenge (Peter Gilmour, Japan) beat Young America (Ed Baird)
Prada Challenge (Francesco de Angelis, Italy) beat Le Defi Francaise
(Betrand Pace, France)
America True (John Cutler) beat Stars & Stripes (Dennis Conner)
AmericaOne (Paul Cayard) beat Aloha Challenge (John Kolius)
Standings after day 1, round robin 3 (each race worth 9 points):
|
Prada Challenge |
Italy |
Francesco de Angeli |
64 pts |
|
AmericaOne |
U.S.A. |
Paul Cayard |
54 |
|
Nippon Challenge |
Japan |
Peter Gilmour |
47.5 * |
|
America True |
U.S.A. |
John Cutler |
47 |
|
Stars & Stripes |
U.S.A. |
Dennis Conner |
45.5 * |
|
Spanish Challenge |
Spain |
Luis Doreste |
26 |
|
Aloha Challenge |
U.S.A. |
John Kolius |
25 |
|
Young America |
U.S.A. |
Ed Baird |
24 |
|
Le Defi Francais |
France |
Bertrand Pace |
14 |
|
Young Australia 2000 |
Australia |
James Spithill |
9 |
|
Fast 2000 |
Switzerland |
Marc Pajot |
8 |
*Nippon Challenge and Stars & Stripes have both been penalized half a point for causing damage to other boats during the first round.
BC-SPORT SAILING AMERICAS
Results go to form on day 1 of round 3.
by John Roberson
AUCKLAND, December 2 (Reuters) - While there were no major upsets in the results on day one of the third round to the Louis Vuitton Cup, there were a few surprises in the racing, which provided three close matches.
Chalking up victories, which are worth nine points in this round, were Italy's Prada team, AmericaOne from San Francisco, Hawaii's Aloha Challenge, Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes and the Nippon Challenge from Japan.
The surprise of the day, was the performance of Switzerland's Fast 2000, the radical two keeled boat, that is at the bottom of the scoreboard, who gave Paul Cayard's AmericaOne a hard time, losing by just 33 seconds.
The Swiss boat, skippered by Marc Pajot, but steered by triple Olympic gold medallist Jochen Schumann, has lost races by several minutes in previous rounds, but was close behind the much favoured AmericaOne all the way around the course today.
Prada, skippered by Francesco de Angelis maintain their lead at the top of the table, after beating the New York Yacht Club's Young America, overtaking them on the second lap.
Young America skipper, Ed Baird explained the mistake that allowed the Italians to pass him, "we made an error in judgement, to play the windshift and not the competitor.
"When you are just a little bit ahead of your competitor in a match race, you have to take a balance between paranoia and confidence, and today we were overly confident when we should have been more paranoid."
The match between Bravo Espana skippered by Luis Doreste, and the Aloha Challenge was also hard fought, with the Spanish holding the early advantage, but allowing the Hawaiians to slip past at the end of the first lap.
A win by over a minute for Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes over Young Australia, moves them into second place on the scoreboard, while Peter Gilmour's Nippon Challenge defeated Le Defi Francais by over three minutes.
Eleven teams from seven nations are contesting the Louis Vuitton Cup, to select a challenger to meet Team New Zealand in the America's Cup starting in February next year.
Sailing-Louis Vuitton Cup results - provisional.
AUCKLAND, December 2 (Reuters) - Results on Thursday from the first day of round three, of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the eliminator series for the America's Cup challenge (U.S. unless stated):
Race 1
Prada Challenge (Francesco de Angelis, Italy) beat Young America (Ed Baird)
AmericaOne (Paul Cayard) beat Fast 2000 (Marc Pajot, Switzerland)
Aloha Challenge (John Kolius) beat Spanish Challenge (Pedro Campos,
Spain)
Stars & Stripes (Dennis Conner) beat Young Australia 2000 (James Spithill, Australia)
Nippon Challenge (Peter Gilmour, Japan) beat Le Defi Francaise (Betrand Pace, France)
Standings after day 1, round robin 3 (each race worth 9 points):
|
Prada Challenge |
Italy |
Francesco de Angelis |
55 pts |
|
Stars & Stripes |
U.S.A. |
Dennis Conner |
45.5 * |
|
AmericaOne |
U.S.A. |
Paul Cayard |
45 |
|
Nippon Challenge |
Japan |
Peter Gilmour |
38.5 * |
|
America True |
U.S.A. |
John Cutler |
38 |
|
Aloha Challenge |
U.S.A. |
John Kolius |
25 |
|
Young America |
U.S.A. |
Ed Baird |
24 |
|
Spanish Challenge |
Spain |
Pedro Campos |
17 |
|
Le Defi Francais |
France |
Bertrand Pace |
14 |
|
Young Australia 2000 |
Australia |
James Spithill |
9 |
|
Fast 2000 |
Switzerland |
Marc Pajot |
8 |
*Nippon Challenge and Stars & Stripes have both been penalized half a point for causing damage to other boats during the first round.
New boats and different helmsmen for third round.
by John Roberson
AUCKLAND, December 1 (Reuters) - Three teams are bringing out their new boats for the third round of the Louis Vuitton Cup, and there is will be one new full time helmsman, with the possibility of shared duties on at least two boats.
It was revealed earlier in the week that Prada, who currently head the scoreboard, will be using their second boat in the round that starts on Thursday, with Nippon and the Aloha Challenge also using new weapons.
There are reports of a mutiny in the Spanish camp, with Pedro Campos no longer steering Bravo Espana, having been replaced by Luis Doreste.
Peter Gilmour, the skipper of Nippon Challenge, says he will be sharing the steering with Chris Main, to allow himself more time to work on tactics.
Campos admitted that he will now be sailing as tactician, but would not comment on the situation within the team, though insiders said he was lucky to be still on the boat.
There were also rumours that senior management of the Nippon Challenge have tried to depose Peter Gilmour as skipper of their team, and replace him with New Zealander Chris Main.
However Gilmour denied these stories, saying "I am going to be sharing the steering with Chris Main, I need more time looking at the big picture as far as tactics are concerned."
In this third round, each win is worth nine points, as opposed to the one and four points per win in the first and second rounds respectively.
At the end of this round, the top six boats will progress to the semi-finals, while the other five will be packing up and going home for Christmas.
Eleven teams representing seven nations are contesting the Louis Vuitton Cup, with the winner challenging New Zealand for the America's Cup starting in February next year.
AUCKLAND, November 29 (Reuters) - With just three days to go until the third round of the Louis Vuitton Cup, information is being leaked about the boats that will contest this critical phase of the build up to the America's Cup.
It has been revealed that Italy's Prada team will be racing their second boat for the first time, having spent much of the twelve days since the previous round testing it against the boat they sailed in the first two rounds.
Prada, skippered by Francesco de Angelis, have held the top spot on the scoreboard since the event started, and are thought by America's Cup pundits to be near the plateau of their development curve, while others are still on the steep part.
"Longer sterns seem to be the flavour of the moment," commented the chief scrutineer and measurer, Ken McAlpine, with three teams known to have extended their boats.
Though McApline does not reveal these sort of secrets, Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes, the San Francisco based America True and Young America have all extended the back end of their boats by about a metre.
Stars & Stripes spokesman quipped, "we wanted to keep our 17th man drier," refering to the passenger that all teams are permitted to carry in the back of the boat during racing.
Switzerland's Fast 2000 have completed repairs to their boat, which forced them to miss the end of the previous round, while Young America's boat that crumpled in the middle is nearly repaired.
John Marshall, head of the Young America team comfirmed that a new centre section had been added to their boat, and that it would be ready to sail again by December 16th.
In the meantime, Young America will continue to sail their newer boat, that they had to substitute for the boat that cracked and nearly sank early last round.
In the coming round, each win is worth nine points - as opposed to one in the first round, and four in the second, and at the end of this round, only to the top six progress to the semi-finals.
There are eleven teams from seven nations contesting the Louis Vuitton Cup, with the winner challenging Team New Zealand for the America's Cup in February next year.
Copyright © London Corinthian
Sailing Club, 9 Dec 1999