America’s Cup Trials : Rout by Conner Adds to Woes of Eagle Group
FREMANTLE, Australia — Eagle, the 12-meter boat beset with financial and internal syndicate problems, continues to deny that it is ready to give up its America’s Cup bid.
The latest blow to the Newport Beach effort was a whopping loss to Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes by 6 minutes 29 seconds Friday. That’s about three-fifths of a mile and light years away from winning the Cup.
The start was delayed for lack of wind, then the boats were sent away in 10 knots of breeze that built to 18 by the end of the race. Eagle held its own off the wind, but Conner piled up virtually his entire winning margin on the four upwind legs.
Nevertheless, Eagle personnel said they’re not giving up.
“People were talking like we weren’t even going to be here for the second round,” skipper Rod Davis said. “I don’t even know where such speculation came from.
“Everyone is counting us out, but that’s good. It puts us in a Rocky Balboa position.”
L.J. Edgcomb, recently appointed to succeed Gerry Driscoll as Eagle’s sailing director, said: “I’ve been comfortable in that role before. Courageous was an underdog in 1977, and that worked out real well.”
Edgcomb was a crewman when Ted Turner skippered Courageous to victory.
Davis said: “This is my fourth America’s Cup. Unfortunately, the first three didn’t work out. I don’t want to lose another one. I don’t think it affects the guys in the boat, but it affects me a little more because I’m close to the dollars and cents. I know when there’s enough money to buy a mainsail and when there isn’t and have to plan the program accordingly.
“It’s hard to put a finger on which changes have improved what, but overall speed has improved a fair amount.”
The difference between the Newport Beach and Conner syndicates was evident this week when Conner cut away a $15,000 jib that had washed overboard instead of stopping during a race against New Zealand to try to save it.
“We don’t have as many backups as some other people,” Edgcomb said. “We certainly can’t afford to cut away sails like our friend from San Diego.
“You need to have some breaks go your way to have things go well all the way around the race course. Boat speed sure can make those breaks for you. Sure, we’d like more equipment and more money, and we’d rather not have a lack of good sails as an excuse, but you can’t always have everything you want.
“With a couple of wins we could get people back home very excited about this campaign. When you build excitement through performance, you can bring in supporters you didn’t even know existed.”
America’s Cup Notes Co-leaders America II and New Zealand both blew out spinnakers in Friday’s winds but barely missed a beat in sailing to easy victories. America II outsailed Italia by 1:32, and New Zealand defeated Britain’s White Crusader by 1:28. . . . Dennis Conner’s arch-rival, San Francisco’s Tom Blackaller, handed Canada II its fourth successive loss by 4:06. French Kiss moved up two places to fifth with a 1:50 win over Chicago’s Heart of America. Azzurra beat Challenge France by 2:13 in a battle for last place. . . . There are no races scheduled today, but the 12 challengers were to meet to decide whether to change the racing format for the third round. There is sentiment to provide the top boats with more racing among themselves so as to become more competitive in the America’s Cup finals against the Australian defender. . . . The six rivals for the right to defend the trophy finished preparations for the Sunday resumption of their elimination series. The golden-hulled Kookaburras hold first and third places, with Australia IV second.