Conner: Two-man Cup race

Press, 30 November 1987, Page 56

Conner: Two-man Cup race

PA Sydney The America’s Cup winning skipper, Dennis Conner, believes the San Diego Yacht Club will reject all challenges except New Zealand’s because of the New York Supreme Court ruling in favour of New Zealand’s super-maxi challenge. Conner, continuing the onshore war he waged with New Zealand In Fremantle last summer, told reporters in Sydney he expected the San Diego club to exercise its right to limit any challenge to New Zealand. But he also expected the club would appeal against the supreme court

ruling. This move is seen by some as a stalling tactic to build a yacht more than < 40 metres long, as New'. Zealand already has one of the super-maxis well £ under construction. v “It’ll be a race between America and New Zealand, with the rest of the world shut out,” Conner said at Sydney airport on his way to Perth on business. “If we’re going to play by the rules like New Zealand has, then we are going to play by the rules all the way. “I don’t believe Michael Fay wants an international selection series

anyway. He doesn’t want competition. That’s why the did this- He wants ip . 'win any way, he. can;” i Conner said the court ? ruling would devalue the America’s Cup as a competition. “You will see ah event with one boat winning big,” he said. “It won’t be a sailing contest — it will be a design contest.” But Ben Lexcen, who designed the cup-winning Australian and is now working on a super-maxi for the Alan Bond syndicate, has defended New Zealand’s cup ploy. “The New Zealanders are only doing what anyone could have done, ex-

cept they were astute enough to read the Deed of Gift properly/’ he ■said, > '■ The Bond syndicate manager, John Longley, said'there.was no reason the Americans should stop the tradition of running the America’s Cup as a multi-challenger event “In 1984 the Royal Perth Yacht Club, representing a country of 15 million people, took on 24 challengers and now you have the world’s most powerful nation, representing 250 million people, only going to take on one challenger from three million people — it’s pathetic,” he said.