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Vanquished Challengers Have Praise for Cubens

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

On the final day, the Italians got buried by America 3, but came to praise them.

There was no outpouring of grief at the Italians’ Shelter Island compound after Saturday’s 44-second defeat, only a quiet resignation that they lost to a faster boat.

And they had some kind words for the victorious crew after two weeks of intermittent verbal sniping.

The only thing close to a parting shot came from Il Moro di Venezia’s American navigator, Robert Hopkins, who said slyly, “I wish they’d sailed against us like they did against Dennis (Conner). They just didn’t leave us any opportunity to get around ‘em.”

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Tactician Enrico Chieffi said the Italians were beaten by a well-trained crew sailing a faster boat. “We could have done some things better to win,” Chieffi said, “but I think they deserve it. They had a great campaign. They had a faster boat but they still made great races.”

Chieffi saved his greatest compliments for Dave Dellenbaugh, his America 3 counterpart.

“In my opinion he’s the man who won the America’s Cup,” Chieffi said. “Speed makes life easier but Dave Dellenbaugh made outstanding starts and very good races. He’s in the toughest position in the boat. I really thought Paul (Cayard would be) better than Dave, but Dave demonstrated to everybody he’s a top sailor and top racer, at the same level with the best.”

To a man the Italians said they were proud to have come this far. Many were given a celebrity’s reception, being cheered and signing autographs as they left the scene, and they have put yachting on the map in Italy.

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“I don’t know many people who thought we’d be where we ended,” Chieffi said. “To make the America’s Cup is a unique experience.”

Hopkins said he won’t dwell on Saturday’s loss. “The race today was a small deal,” he said. “I don’t remember much of it. Saturday was sort of anticlimactic. I’m proud of the crew. I think we came as far as we could. It was a bad week but in three years we came a long way--we’re part of a very small club of people who’ve lost the America’s Cup.”

The Il Moro crew also felt it may have lost something emotionally in the course of beating New Zealand in the challenger finals with a stirring comeback after trailing 3-1. A similar problem doomed them in the Cup finals--in all four losses they trailed wire-to-wire.

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“I think basically we were peaking when we were fighting the Kiwis,” strategist Tommaso Chieffi said.

Hopkins expanded on that: “Maybe we could’ve done better if we had a chance to recoup from the Louis Vuitton Cup. That was probably the hardest regatta there ever was. In retrospect the seven or eight calendar days we had off weren’t enough. (In the finals) we didn’t sail on top of our game. They, on the other hand, sailed very well.”

While things were quiet at the Italian compound, the wild scene at the San Diego Yacht Club a few blocks away made it clear Bill Koch is now accepted in San Diego society, whether he likes it or not.

America 3 syndicate chief Koch, who has complained of his treatment by the SDYC, which retains the Cup, was greeted as the conquering hero when his boat sailed to the dock to accept the Auld Mug. America 3 shirts were about as numerous as San Diego Yacht Club polos, and few Stars & Stripes shirts were in evidence.

With $100 bottles of Moet champagne being used by the America 3 crew to shower the enthusiastic crowd, Malin Burnham, America’s Cup Organizing Committee president, said Koch is “more than welcome. Maybe he’s a little oversensitive--Dennis Conner turned out to be popular as the underdog. He’s had the black hat at times but this time he had on the white hat. But Bill is welcome in San Diego.

“It was great to have Koch and Conner. Neither would’ve done it without the other. The odds were probably 5-2 against us at the start but they pushed each other and made each other better.”

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Before the Italian crew reached shore, Il Moro syndicate chief Raul Gardini told them, “I wanted to have a good campaign--you guys made it outstanding. I’m really happy I did it.”

The next question is whether Koch and Gardini will be back in 1995. Burnham hopes so.

“After 63 months I couldn’t be more pleased. It turned out we (will do it again),” Burnham said. “I’m very happy to have it back. We can do it a lot better and a lot easier next time.

“I hope (Koch returns). His equipment, his technology . . . it would certainly be a shame to see that go up in flames.”

On Saturday, there was no shame on either side.

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