Eagle Is Finished, Conner Claims : Says Stars & Stripes, America II, New Zealand Best Bets

Dennis Conner, tanned, confident and riding a crest of victories, said Friday that the America’s Cup challengers have already divided themselves into contenders and pretenders, with Eagle among the pretenders.

“They’re finished,” Conner said of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s effort that won only four races and lost eight in the first round of trials this month. “They don’t seem to be in it at all.”

Conner flew home from Fremantle, Australia, this week to see to his drapery business and assist with fund-raising for the Sail America syndicate, which is still $4 million short of its $15-million budget.

The syndicate is in better shape on the water, sitting in a tie with America II and New Zealand at 11-1 while awaiting the start of the second round Nov. 2.

“We wouldn’t trade our boat for any we’ve seen down there,” Conner said. “It seemed if we got ahead we were able to control the races and stretch out (the lead). The one race we lost to America II (by 33 seconds) was close all the way. The wind gods didn’t favor us.”

Contrary to what most of his rivals have said, Conner said the winds generally were stronger than he expected for October.

“We expected lighter winds than we really had,” he said. “It was a break for Sail America because our boats are on the bigger side.”

He said Stars & Stripes will have only minor modifications made between rounds, including adding length to the stern to increase the water line, with stronger winds anticipated next month.

“America II is flying a new keel in from Connecticut, and some of the people that are more desperate are making fairly radical changes,” Conner said. “We understand that (USA skipper) Tom Blackaller is putting on a larger forward rudder, looking for more lateral resistance.”

The front rudder of the radical San Francisco boat, 8-4 in the first round, has tended to lift out of the water in a chop. Conner beat USA by only six seconds after tacking across its bow by less than two feet near the finish line, but Conner said the race was sailed in conditions ideal for USA.

“He looked like he had some good potential, but he’s definitely had some steering problems,” Conner said. “And when his forward rudder comes out of the water, it makes you wonder how much it’s going to keep him from going sideways. I’m not 100% sure that any increase in the size of his forward rudder will help him. Only time will tell.

“Heart of America (3-9) made a major change before they got there because I guess they felt they had some speed problems, but they don’t appear to have the speed to make the finals at this point.

“Eagle’s had a lot of good press about how fast they were gonna be, but we, frankly, haven’t seen that speed. And at this point they’re gonna have to make a major increase in speed to be a factor. They haven’t been even close in their racing. They’ve got their problems.”

Eagle project specialist Bill Crispin responded to Conner’s comments: “He’s a good sailor and deserves to be where he is. We have two more months to show what we can do. If this were late December, I’d be real concerned.”

Conner beat Eagle, skippered by Rod Davis, by three minutes even. Earlier this week Eagle officials outlined the modifications they are making--less ballast, more sail area, with flatter sails for heavy winds, and a new mast and boom--but Conner was skeptical.

“It’s going to be pretty tough for most of them to catch up,” he said. “The people that are slow know it. I don’t want to go out on a limb and say who they’re gonna be, but there are only five or six people that can make the final four, just because the others are too far out of it, unless something radical and wonderful happens to ‘em in their major changes.

“There are definitely two groups sailing around out there, maybe three. Sail America, America II and New Zealand would be head and shoulders above the rest.”

Wins in the first round were worth only one point each. That will be increased to five in the second and 12 in the third, but Conner said: “From a morale standpoint, it’s good to get off to a good start.”

Conner and Sail America President Malin Burnham both indicated that the controversy they started over New Zealand’s fiberglass KZ7 boat was dormant, if not dead. A vote of the 13 challengers to have core samples taken of the hull was 8-3 in favor, barely short of the two-thirds it needed to carry.

Blackaller had openly supported Sail America but was absent for the balloting, when his vote would have made the difference.

Now it seems that only the four semifinalists will be checked in December.

“Checked, yes,” Conner said. “But what does ‘check’ mean? We asked that it include core samples. I don’t know if they’re going to be doing that.”

America’s Cup Notes It may take three months of tough sailing to select the boat that will defend the America’s Cup for Australia. Colin Beashel and Australia IV, losers by only 43 seconds to Kookaburra III a week ago, handed skipper Iain Murray his first setback by 36 seconds in the defender trials Friday. The wind was 6-14 knots. The result left those boats tied in the first round of the series with 5-1 records.