Selection method for Cup defender under pressure

Press, 22 December 1986, Page 30

Selection method for Cup defender under pressure

NZPA-AAP ■ Fremantle A renewed appeal has been made to Royal Perth Yacht Club to change the selection method for Australia’s defender of the America’s Cup. Claiming the support of the public and legal opinion, the Sydney syndicate has cast doubt on the power of an R.P.Y.C. committee which last week decided to keep the present selection system.

In letters and a statement issued in Fremantle on Saturday night Sydney’s syndicate head, Syd Fischer, also expressed serious concern about bias in the club. Revival of the issue comes less than a week before Series D of the defender trials, which will leave only two surviving yachts to contest the title of the 26th cup defender. Mr Fischer’s letters were in the hands of the club on Saturday night, which has not yet responded to his demand

for an urgent meeting to reconsider his syndicate’s case. Mr Fischer claimed there was mounting public pressure for change in the best interests of Australia. The late running SydneySteak ’n Kidney has emerged as a contender for the defence final on form, but faces almost impossible odds to reach that series. It is likely that after three races in the next series, it will be automatically eliminated because it will be mathematically unable to reach the final. Mr Fischer’s case for a change was rejected by the R.P.Y.C. America’s Cup Committee last week but in a letter to the club on Saturday he asked the club’s race committee to meet and consider his request for change. Last time the issue was considered by the wrong committee, Mr Fischer

claimed. “We are of the opinion that no decision reached by that meeting is binding upon the race committee or capable of altering the points scoring system.” Not only that, the syndicate was concerned that when the right committee met it could be seen as biased, because the membership of both committees was identical, he said. In its statement the syndicate has for the first time claimed a history of complaints about the points scoring system going back to April, 1984, and said assurances had been given that it would take into account a rapidly improving boat. Now, Mr Fischer said there was an anomaly that the rules should have overcome, but the syndicate’s efforts were being frustrated by the vested interests of other syndicates.