America’s Cup Trials : Kookaburras Have Bond Concerned

The Kookaburras have become their own best competition, and Alan Bond’s boys are worried.

Skipper Peter Gilmour switched boats with Iain Murray Sunday and sailed Kookaburra III to a six-second win over stablemate Kookaburra II in the America’s Cup defender trials.

The victory over the older of the golden-hulled yachts left Kookaburra III (7-1) in first place, ahead of Bond’s Australia IV (6-2). Last Tuesday, Murray, aboard Kookaburra III, defeated Gilmour on Kookaburra II by two seconds. Kookaburra II dropped to 5-3, but Bond admitted concern for the first time over the speed of rival Kevin Parry’s boats, which are named, appropriately, for the fastest bird in Australia.

Despite switching boats, Gilmour and Murray were so evenly matched that the largest margin between them was only 16 seconds in the 10- to 20-knot breezes. Saturday, Gilmour had sailed Kookaburra II to a 1:17 victory over Australia IV, the boat Bond built to defend the cup.

In the other races Sunday, Australia IV recorded an easy victory over Steak’n Kidney (0-8) when the winless rival withdrew with a broken forestay on the last leg. Australia III (4-4) left South Australia (2-6) trailing by 2:17.

Ben Lexcen, the developer of Australia II’s winged keel in 1983 and designer of Australias III and IV, said serious changes are being considered for Australia III, winner of the World Fleet Racing Championships last February but loser of every race against the Kookaburras.

“Australia III has problems when the wind is stronger than 14 knots,” Lexcen said, adding that the Bond group may change its prerace strategy of having two boats designed for different wind strengths.

“We have stuck to a two-boat plan of having a light-wind boat and a strong-wind boat, with Australia III covering the lower wind scale and Australia IV the higher wind bracket,” Lexcen said.

“But we may have to abandon that policy, because the Kookas have proved that quick.”

The comments followed some heavy criticism of Australia III by Murray, who claimed the boat was “redundant and uncompetitive.”