America’s Cup Trials : USA Fears Kiwis May Take Dive, Sink Them

FREMANTLE, Australia —  What are the Kiwis up to now?

The USA syndicate fears that New Zealand, already accused of having an illegal fiberglass boat, might take a dive against America II today to keep USA out of the challenger semifinals of the America’s Cup trials.

USA’s double-rudder 12-meter overcame a delayed start Saturday and trounced America II by 2:17 to climb past the New York Yacht Club entry into fourth place.

Afterward, skipper Tom Blackaller, hoping to hedge his suspicions, said: “I’ll bet (New Zealand syndicate chairman) Michael Fay $5,000 that America II beats the Kiwis.”

With first place assured, New Zealand is in position to control which boat--USA or America II--will wind up fourth and become its opponent in the best-of-seven semifinals starting Dec. 28. It meets America II today and USA Monday in the final races, each worth 12 points.

Obviously, New Zealand would rather face struggling America II, which is 5-4 in the third round, than the suddenly fast freak from San Francisco (7-2).

USA, with 127 points, needs to win as many races as America II (116) to hold onto fourth place--and America II has a walkover against withdrawn Challenge France Monday. USA races third-place French Kiss today.

“We are concerned about New Zealand throwing the race,” USA project manager Ron Young said. “The sportsmanship issue is to be seriously considered here.

“Maybe the New Zealanders are afraid of us. We’ve been looking at ‘em the last couple of days and wondering what they were doing.”

Maybe the Kiwis have been practicing bad sailing. Although virtually flawless in a 31-1 performance over the last two months, they’ve had to overcome premature starts the last two days to extend their win streak to 22.

Saturday, they trailed Canada II by 24 seconds at the gun but caught up on the third leg and won going away by 2:54.

Young: “We’re thinking there’s something unusual about the way they’ve been sailing. We’d like everybody to be on notice that we don’t think that’s fair. Would New Zealand throw a race? We think they might.”

New Zealand spokesman Peter Debreceny said: “The syndicate won’t comment on that sort of nonsense.”

Debreceny added that he had been unable to reach Fay but that Colin Reynolds, another major backer, “accepts the bet. He assumes that’s American dollars, which are worth about double New Zealand dollars.”

That’s as far as the Kiwis were tipping their hand, but Lowell North, the veteran America’s Cup competitor from San Diego, said dumping the race might be the smart play.

“I don’t think there’d be anything unethical about it,” North said. “You do what you have to do to give yourself the best chance to win (the America’s Cup), which could include keeping a fast boat out of the semifinals.

“But I don’t think they’ll do it. They don’t like to lose.”

USA and America II both started early, and USA was recalled a second time when it failed to sail completely below the line to restart. That left USA 28 seconds behind, but it flew past the New York Yacht Club entry on the first downwind leg and never looked back.

Despite the moderate 10-knot winds building to only 15, Dennis Conner’s heavy-weather Stars & Stripes blew away Italia by 3:37, while Eagle trailed French Kiss around the 24.5-mile course to lose its 10th race in the last 11 by 2:49.

Buddy Melges sailed Heart of America to a 2:23 win over Azzurra.

The defender trials have developed into an unwilling alliance between Australia IV and Steak’n Kidney to head off the Kookaburras’ bid for what Kidney’s Syd Fischer calls “a farcical” all-Kookaburra final in January.

Saturday, the much-improved Sydney boat led third-place K-II all the way to a cliffhanger finish, winning by four seconds--actually, half a boat length--after a wild tacking duel. Both boats flew protest flags.

Minutes later, second-place A-IV finished 14 seconds ahead of K-III, which protested, to move to within six points of the leader, 50-44.

That’s important because the defenders Saturday voted to change their trial format to award six points instead of five for each win in the Series D semifinals starting Dec. 27. Kookaburra abstained and A-IV voted against the proposal, while Fischer voted for it only because it was better than nothing.

They’ll still carry their points over from the first three rounds, leaving Kidney hopelessly out of it.

“We do not believe this change will create the type of cutthroat competition that is necessary to select the best yacht to defend Australia’s pride, the America’s Cup,” Fischer said. “The result of (today’s) race further reinforces (our) claim that the semifinals should be a knockout-type series.”

America’s Cup Notes

The Australian press has declared open season on Dennis Conner since the San Diego skipper’s insinuation that New Zealand’s fiberglass boat was an attempt “to cheat.” A cartoon in the Perth Daily News depicts a voice booming down from heaven to a fearful press conference: “If you’re so clever, why aren’t you up here sailing?” An editorial in the West Australian was headlined: “Conner, says the dictionary, is not a sportsman,” and accuses him of trying to manipulate the rules, as he tried to do in the case of the winged keel at Newport, R.I., in ’83.