Conner against appeal on Cup

Press, 30 March 1989, Page 1

Conner against appeal on Cup

NZPA Sydney Dennis Conner, the yachtsman who has won and lost the America’s Cup twice, said last evening he did not want the San Diego Yacht Club to appeal against the court decision awarding the Cup to New Zealand.

Conner told Channel Nine’s programme, “A Current Affair,” that it was up to the S.D.Y.C. and its America’s Cup organising committee to decide whether to appeal against the New York Supreme Court decision. “I have no idea what they will be doing. I haven’t seen the judge’s decision. I heard about it when I got off the plane this morning from Tokyo,” he said. “I haven’t spoken to anyone with the San Diego Yacht Club and it’s not Dennis Conner’s decision.” Asked if he would personally like to see an appeal launched, he replied: “No.” "I think it is high time that the event moves on. The world is looking forward to an international event raced for on the water, not in the courtroom,” he said. Conner said that as a sportsman he was naturally disappointed with the court’s decision. “But I will abide by the umpire’s decision and we’ll move on from here. I’m not pleased or happy but I think that’s the right thing to do,” he said. Asked if he still claimed last year’s competition between his catamaran and New Zealand’s giant monohull was fair, Conner said he spent 3 l / 2 years working hard to return the America’s Cup “home” to the United States.

“So you can imagine I’m personally disappointed to see it leave again without a fair contest out on the water and I’m upset. But I’ll abide by the decision and life will go on. The Cup will survive.” He said if what he did in defending the Cup last year was deemed to be improper, he accepted that and moved on to the future. Conner was almost tearful

when questioned after Judge Carmen Ciparick ordered the San Diego Yacht Club to give the Cup to New Zealand’s Mercury Bay Boating Club. Conner — noted in New Zealand for a bitter televised exchange with the local yacht designer, Bruce Farr, at the end of last year’s Cup challenge in San Diego — was showing emotion of a different sort: almost tearful when television reporters asked him his reaction. Biting his lower lip, and with his eyes watering, he said: “I’m a competitor but it doesn’t seem like the ... a nice place to leave the America’s Cup.” Asked if he agreed with the Court’s accusation that the San Diego club had displayed poor sportsmanship and ungentle-manly-like conduct. Conner said: “I’m not an attorney, I’m just a sailor. But ... this may be just one innings in a long ball game

“I think the sailors want to get back on the water and race for the Cup on the water.” Reporter: If it’s on the water in Auckland will you be racing for it there?

Conner: Oh, I wouldn’t be surprised. Reporter: You look a little upset today. Conner: Thank you ... Conner flew out of Sydney late last night for New Zealand.

He will be invited to sail in a Mercury Bay regatta on Saturday.

The club commodore, Mr Toby Morcom, will ask Conner while he is in Auckland filming promotional work for a New Zealand clothing company. Conner and Michael Fay are also expected to meet informally this evening.

Appeal decision, back page.