U.K. MAY PROTEST America’s Cup Dispute

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31802, 5 October 1968, Page 15

U.K. MAY PROTEST America’s Cup Dispute

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

LONDON.

The Royal Dorset Yacht Club of Britain may lodge a protest with the New York Yacht Club over arrangements being made by Australia for trials to choose the challenger for the 1970 America’s Cup race for 12-metre yachts, United Press International reported.

British officials are concerned about the possible handling of the trials by the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron.

The squadron was named as the official challenger by the New York club with the understanding that it would sail trials against boats from Britain and France beforehand. The Dorset club wants to know whether the 1970 challenger will be determined by an international jury or by the Sydney club alone and if the British and French clubs will have any say in the trial arrangements. The cause of the British concern was the recent action of the Australian group in refusing to hold internal trials to choose the Australian nominee for the big race. The Sydney club caused a shock in world yachting circles by refusing to accept the entry of a syndicate headed by the millionaire, Mr Norman Rydge, commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Beaten In 1967 This syndicate had indicated It was willing to build a boat and employ Mr Warwick Hood, designer of Australia’s unsuccessful 1967 contender, Dame Pattie. The squadron Instead accepted an entry from a syndicate led by the Australian newspaper owner, Sir Frank Packer. He led the syndicate which sponsored Australia’s unsuccessful 1962 America’s Cup challenger, Gretel, which was

beaten by Dame Pattie in the 1967 Australian trials. A squadron spokesman said at the time that Sir Frank Packer had understood he would be consulted about any other boat being built and had then threatened to withdraw if the club persisted in making him compete for the right to represent Australia. The whole crux of the British complaint is that under the rules it could suffer the same fate as the second Australian would-be challenger. As the New York club has accepted the Australian challenge there appears nothing to stop the Sydney club ignoring the proviso to accept the British and French challengers for the right to meet America, as the rules now stand.