Home of America’s Cup?

Press, 10 January 1987, Page 72

Home of America’s Cup?

NZPA-AAP Suva The New Zealand High Commission in Suva is sending out invitations to a “preview of the 1890 America's Cup yacht races in Auckland." The “celebration" is planned on Tuesday evening at the Commission in Suva, and Is organised by the Bank of New Zealand and the N.Z. Trade Commission. The “select few” invited include Australian and American diplomats. Guests are also offered “fine New Zealand foods and wines" which they can also enjoy in Auckland in three years time. A video of New Zealand’s contender “KZ7” will be shown, and there will be a lucky draw for T-shirts bearing the premature slogan “New Zea-

land — home of the America’s Cup." “Experience the joy of sharing an evening with the winners," the invitations add. New Zealand’s Minister of Transport, Richard Prebble, on a visit to Fiji, was a trifle more cautious than his Suva-based colleagues about the goings-on in Western Australia. “We’ve got (Dennis) Conner to beat yet and then the Australians who will be tough,” he said. A reporter asked Mr Prebble if the 1990 New Zealand defenders might extend the Government’s ban on American nuclear-powered ships to include yachts. “Yes, by then we might have to do some core-

testing for radio-activity on their hulls,” he replied poker-faced. • A fortnightly computer prediction system has New Zealand as favourite to win the America’s Cup in its latest reckoning, the N.Z. Press Association reports from Sydney.

The Data General forecasting panel has rated KZ7 on 89.7 points out of 199, with Kookaburra 88, Australia IV 87.9 and Dennis Conner’s Stars and Stripes 86.2. The panel of experts includes the former Australian America’s Cup skippers, Jock Sturrock and John Bertrand, a British yachtsman and journalist, Bob Fisher, a yacht designer, Bruce Kirby and the Australian yachting writers, Rob

Mundle and Peter Campbell.

It has rated the syndicates on various criteria from administration and motivation to sailing performance of the hull/ keel, sails, skipper and crew.

It believes the Kiwis have an advantage in administration, hull/keel and crew work, but it puts Australia IV with its controversial “gennaker” ahead in the sails category.

Although his boat is rated fourth over/all, Dennis Conner tops the skipper rankings. The panel says Australia IV still has a problem with its hull, especially in lighter winds and Stars and Stripes shares that problem to a lesser degree.