Diplomatic Cup talks continue

Press, 23 January 1988, Page 92

Diplomatic Cup talks continue

PA Washington Talks to resolve contentious America’s Cup issues are taking on the intrigue of an international summit meeting rather than a sports affair. After a day and a half of discussions in San Diego, spokespeople for both the New Zealand challenger, Michael Fay, and the defending San Diego Yacht Club are keeping a lid on specific information about what may or may not have been decided. Instead they are describing the continuing events in the language of international diplomacy. A spokeswoman for Sail America, the manager of the Cup defence for S.D.Y.C* said from San

Diego late yesterday the discussions were “fruitful.”

“There have been no real decisions and they will probably meet again tomorrow,” she said. Peter Debreceny, the spokesman for Mr Fay, said the atmosphere was cordial and everything was “going very well.”

But like Sail America he could provide no specific details of the actual talks.

He confirmed that all the key contentious issues were on the table — the timing and number of the races this year, location of the regatta and type of yacht to be used by the defender.

Yesterday’s meetings were in two parts. In the morning,'-' Mr

Fay’s legal representative, Andrew Johns and the yacht designer, Bruce Farr, met with San Diego’s design co-ordina-tor, John Marshall, for three and a half hours. In the afternoon Mr Fay joined the New Zealand team while Gerry Driscoll, the head of the San Diego America’s Cup committee, and other representatives, Gary Jobson and Harry Usher, joined Mr Marshall for the second part. is still being discussed,” Mr Debreceny said.

The two sides were meeting again last evening and possibly today. The length and reported atmosphere of the talks is a hopeful sign that positive progress is being

made, for in the past Mr Fay has been given a cold reception by San Diego. While in San Diego, Mr Fay has been promoting the New Zealand case to civic and business groups and also attending to practical details like organising dock space. Yesterday he spoke at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast session and at lunchtime addressed a Rotary meeting with another function last evening.

Mr Fay hopes to sign contracts for dock space in San Diego before he leaves and have the facilities available by May 15.

His 90-foot-on-the-waterline challenger “New Zealand” is due to be launched in Auckland on March 27.

“I wouldn’t want to get into March, April or May and not have this resolved,” he told the “San Diego Tribune.” “Let’s get it resolved now.”

® Sail America has sent a couple of spies into Mr Fay’s patch. While Mr Fay is campaigning in San Diego with the hope of tying up the finer details of his big boat challenge, two Sail America representatives, Bob Campbell and John Grant, are in Auckland taking in the local boating scene.

“We are here looking for Sail America and basically looking around and finding out what we can. But we are not going to tell what we know,” gaid Mr Campbell. *