Plot to Sell Racing Yacht Plans Scuttled

Police, tipped off by American yachting officials, today investigated a plot to sell the keel design of Britain’s entry in the 1987 America’s Cup yacht race to the U.S. team.

Police, using a classic sting operation, recovered copies of the keel design Sunday and detained a man who was offering to sell secrets of the British yacht, which is to be christened and launched later this week by Princess Diana.

Representatives of the New York Yacht Club, which is anxious to regain the cup it lost two years ago to Australia, reported they were offered the design by an employee working for the firm that cast the 36-foot keel.

The American club contacted the Royal Thames Yacht Club, which is entering the boat in the races to be held in Perth, Australia, in 1987, and police set up the sting operation, authorities said.