Australia’s victory toast of Newport

Press, 22 September 1980, Page 34

Australia’s victory toast of Newport

NZPA Newport, Rhode Island Australia, having already shattered any notions that the 1980 America’s Cup match would be one of the usual United States walkovers, meets Freedom again today in an attempt to break the 1-1 deadlock.

Australia’s narrow victory over the defending American yacht on Friday was still the toast of Newport yesterday. Friday’s contest was rated one of the most exciting America's Cup races ever. The lead changed hands three times. Australia finally won by capitalising on a major windshift halfway up the final- beat— A lead of four boat lengths to Freedom suddenly became a six-length lead for Australia. Although the

American yacht made up some ground in a tacking duel close to the finish, its rally- came too late. Australia won by a mere 28 seconds, and just managed, by eight minutes or so, to squeeze' inside the maximum time of five hours 15 minutes allowed to complete the course. , The previous day, Australia was in the lead by a quarter of a mile when time ran out and the race had to be abandoned. Australia’s skipper, Jim Hardy, said he felt that that gave his opposite number, Dennis Conner, cause for concern. Now Hardy says, “I think if we beat him again, we’ll really start to make them feel a bit shaky.” Freedom tried to protest Australia’s win. The complaint had nothing to do with any incident in the

race, which finished at dusk, but with the claim that Australia was not showing a stern light in the growing darkness. Dennis Conner called it a "clear-cut violation” of the racing rules. He said that Australia had failed to show running lights between the 6,46 p.m. sunset and 7.18 p.m„ when Australia took the victory cannon under moonlight and shadows at sea.

. Freedom filed a written protest after the race, but did not officially notify Australia until 11.10 p.m. The protest was supposed to have been heard £>y the international jury yesterday morning. Then Conner issued a statement saying that although the rules required lights for the safety of the competing yachts and the

spectator craft after sunset, Freedom had: not been prejudiced by Australia’s “violation.” “The Freedom team subsequently has reviewed the whole subject,” said Conner, "and feels that pursuing the protest would'be contrary to the best interests and traditions of sportsmanship characteristic of the America’s Cup. We therefore withdraw our protest.” Alan Bond, the Australian syndicate head, who needs no tuition in the art of plain speaking, said: “We won fair and square. We are here to win on racing ability, not on a twisting of the laws. One would hope we won’t see any more of this.” There is a rule that actually prevented Freedom from withdrawing the protest. So the Americans just didn’t give

any evidence.- The jury concluded: “By offering no evidence, Freedom has enabled the jury to reject the protest.”

Mr Bond has been waiting a long time for his first America’s Cup victory. His first challenger Southern Cross went down, 0-4, to Courageous in 1974. Australia met the same fate against the same boat three years later, and is back in revamped form for a second try this year. Since the America’s Cup became a contest for 12metre yachts after the last world war, Hardy is the only skipper to have won two races from the Americans. His other victory was on Gretel II against Intrepid in 1970. Gretel II won another race in that controversial series, only to have it taken away on protest. That was in the back of

Hardy’s mind during the latter part of Friday’s memorable race. “When ! saw the protest flag hoisted on Freedom I thought, hello, I’ve seen this movie before.”

Freedom called a lay-day yesterday, for undisclosed reasons. The American crew had the day off; but the Australians didn’t. "They went out sailing for five hours. There is now a buzz of optimism in the Australian camp. After all, Friday’s victory was only the eighth by a foreign challenger in the 82 races that have been sailed since the first America’s Cup challenge in 1870. But the Australians realise there is a long way to go yet “We have come here not just to win one race, but to win the cup,” said Mr Bond, “and to do that we need three more wins.”