British to build challenger

Press, 30 November 1987, Page 56

British to build challenger

NZPA-AAP London Construction of a British super-maxi challenger for next year’s expected America’s Cup series will begin in February, the yachting syndicate head, Peter de Savary, told “The Times.”

The yacht is scheduled to be launched from the syndicate’s Falmouth base in June, three months after the New Zealander, Michael Fay, who this week was successful in his court action to force a super-maxi Cup

lowers his boat in the waters of Auckland Harbour. The building crew will be working round the clock seven days a week to meet the deadline, and the boat will then spend a period tuning up in Cornish waters before being shipped or air freighted to California for the series. The multi-millionaire Mr de Savary’s syndicate is spending £7 million (SNZI9.B million) on its challenge. He said the New York

Supreme Court ruling in favour of New Zealand’s 90-foot boat challenge gave Britain its best chance yet of winning back the trophy that was last seen there in 1851, and he called on the San Diego Yacht Club to stop the legal nonsense and get on with the challenge. Mr De Savary said he was not concerned that under the Deed of Gift that controls the Cup the Californian club need not accept any challenger other than the New

Zealanders. “If San Diego are chicken .not to accept a multiple challenge, then they will face a concerted action: group of challengers from New Zealand, Australia, Japan, France and Britain, and, if necessary, we will go to court over it “Australia was happy to accept 14 challengers last year and I would be very surprised if the mighty America was frightened of meeting more than one challenger this time.”