San Diego rejects offer

Press, 4 June 1988, Page 8

San Diego rejects offer

PA San Diego San Diego last evening flatly rejected Michael Fay’s offer to delay the America’s Cup until next May in an effort to get a multi-national challenge in 90ft yachts. The San Diego yacht Club’s defence manager, Sail America, went further to accuse the New Zealanders of trying to pressure the New York Supreme Court into forcing the defenders to accept unfair terms. Spokesmen said they believed Mr Fay either had doubts about the strength of his case before the New York Supreme Court, or had found that his yacht, which was unveiled at San Diego on Tuesday, was slower than

expected. “The San Diego Yacht Club and Sail America regard this as a desperate effort to salvage what the Mercury Bay Boating Club perceives to be a losing case, and (we) will await the court’s ruling,” said Sail America’s executive vice-president, Tom Ehman.

The San Diegans rejected the New Zealand offer within hours of hearing of it, saying they had come too far with their controversial catamaran programme to turn back now.

Mr Fay insists, however, that his actions are part of a genuine desire to protect the integrity of the America’s Cup which he sees as being in danger of destruction.