New Zealand Boat, Made of Fiberglass, Causes Controversy

A controversy with the explosive potential of the 1983 winged keel is swirling around New Zealand’s fiberglass boat in the America’s Cup challenger series, with skeptics seeking to extract samples from the hull and the Kiwis adament in their refusal.

At the center is Dennis Conner’s Sail America syndicate, sparking the row by calling for tests to determine if the speedy 12-Meter is illegally lighter in its bow and stern. By Oct. 16, the New Zealand boat had the only perfect record in the first nine races in trials among challengers

New Zealand Syndicate Chairman Michael Fay has been quick to liken the plight of the boat to Australia II three years ago, when the New York Yacht Club spent six weeks unsuccessfully trying to expel the winged-keel breakthrough that went on to win the Cup.

“We had keelgate in ‘83, and now we have glassgate,” observes Fay.

Even New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange has rallied in defense of his countymen, maintaining the pressure will only inspire the team of young men to greater efforts.

Minister of Tourism Michael Moore put it more bluntly: “It seems the Americans are trying to live up to the motto of the New York Yacht Club, that youth and inexperience can only be defeated by old age and treachery.”

With the 11 other teams barraged by letters from both camps seeking their allegiance, support is swelling behind Conner, with increasing numbers asking why Fay doesn’t silence his critics now by agreeing to the core sampling.

Among the most outspoken and unexpected is fiery Tom Blackaller, the skipper of San Francisco’s U.S.A., who previously could not mention Conner’s name without uttering a string of negative epithets.

“We applaud his action,” says Blackaller, helmsman of a “revolutionary” boat with a rudder forward of a bulbous-shaped keel as well as aft. “We also want to know if the boat is lighter at both ends than in the middle.”

A yacht that is light in the extremities has its hobby-horsing motion reduced dramatically when sailing in choppy conditions like those off Fremantle.

Many sailing observers have noticed how little KZ7 pitches into the waves compared with the 12 other rivals in the challenger trials. New Zealand’s competitors are all constructed of aluminium.

Two other skippers agreeing that weighing core samples drilled from the hull is the best answer are Great Britain’s Harold Cudmore and Eagle helmsmen Rod Davis.

“The easiest way to allay the problem is to test the boat,” says ace sailor Cudmore.

And Olympic soling champion Davis, from Newport Harbor, Calif., notes his syndicate hasn’t discussed the issue, “but they’re welcome to test our boat and everyone should carry out this policy.”

“Where the stakes are so high, there’s nothing wrong with making sure nothing funny is going on,” adds Courageous IV skipper David Vietor with a 12-year-old boat representing the Yale Corinthian Yacht Club.

French Kiss skipper Marc Pajot called his support across the water to Conner as the two boats sailed close to each other.

Even the New York Yacht Club, still smarting from its tarnished image of 1983, acknowledges Conner has a valid point.

“Where you’re breaking new ground, you have to write new laws and definitions,” says Tom Ehman, executive director of the America II challenge. “The Kiwis could say we have nothing to hide, go ahead and put a hole in our boat just as long as you fix it. That’s the gentlemanly way of doing it and would make everybody happy.

“No way!” responds Fay. “Our yacht was built under Lloyds Register supervision. We have been measured twice and we have certificates to show we are legal. We will fight this one all the way, if we have to.”

Sail America officials under the flag of the San Diego Yacht Club have no intention of backing down either, not after spending $15 million on three new boats.

To enable Conner, the 1983 loser, to concentrate on winning races, the cause is being championed by syndicate head Malin Burnham, a San Diego, Calif., business executive with his own real estate firm. Burnham was a helmsman aboard the unsuccessful defense contender Enterprise in 1977 and often skippered Conner’s trial horse Freedom in 1983.

Kiwi Skipper Chris Dickson--in much the same way that helmsman John Bertrand removed himself and his crew from the winged keel uproar--has separated his team from the onshore challenge by Sail America.

“I just sail the boat out there,” says Dickson, at 24 the youngest skipper.

“We knew our queries would stir things up but someone had to step forward and be heard,” says Burnham. “We’re not mudslingers. We’re not on a vandetta. We’re not accusing New Zealand of cheating, and we’re not saying Lloyd’s surveyors did a bad job.

“What we are saying is they weren’t asked to do enough,” charges Burnham, contending he now has the backing of 10 other challengers.