AMERICA’S CUP : Bond Spokesman Assails Skippers : Rival Kookaburras’ Success Has the Camp in Turmoil

The first round of the America’s Cup defender trials ends today with the Kookaburras in command and Alan Bond’s camp in turmoil.

Troubles for the Australian team that wrested the cup from the United States in 1983 continued to mount Monday as a syndicate official criticized the tactics of skippers Colin Beashel and Gordon Lucas and contradicted the designer who said the boats were the problem.

That came after Australia III (4-5) broke its backstay before losing to Australia IV (7-2) by 2:17 in 18 to 20 knot winds.

Bond’s spokesman, Vern Reid, said: “We’ve got to get the points on the board by sailing the boats better. You can’t expect to win races against boats so close in speed if you don’t cover.”

He referred to Australia III’s loss to Kookaburra III (8-1) on Saturday. Lucas led Iain Murray by 37 seconds at the windward mark and by 34 seconds at the leeward buoy. But he failed to cover Murray, 28, on the second windward leg, and Murray found some favorable wind shifts on another part of the course and swept to a lead of 32 seconds, a gain of more than a minute.

“That was the race, and Colin (Beashel) lost the start Saturday aboard Australia IV to Peter Gilmour and Kooka II (6-3), and that was that race,” Reid said.

In Monday’s other races, Kookaburra III breezed to a 6:05 victory over South Australia (2-7) and Kookaburra II defeated Eastern Australia’s winless Steak ‘n Kidney by 2:33.

Reid denied theories that Australia III would have to be drastically altered to improve mid- to heavy-wind speed. Designer Ben Lexcen had suggested there may be a need to upgrade the boat.

In the final first-round races today, Kookaburra III will meet Steak ‘n Kidney, Australia III will face Kookaburra II and Australia IV will meet South Australia.

In the first defender series, each boat earns one point for a victory. In the second series, a triple round-robin that starts Nov. 6, a victory will be worth two points. In the third series, also a triple round-robin, a win will be worth three points. The top four scoring boats will move into the semifinals.

The second round of the challenger series begins Sunday.

America’s Cup Notes

Eagle completed its modifications--less ballast, new mast, boom and rudder--and did some straight-line testing against USA, Canada II and Italia Sunday in winds of 12 to 14 knots. A spokesman for the Newport Harbor Yacht Club 12-meter said the boat seemed to be very competitive. Eagle was 4-8 in the first round with light- to moderate-winds. . . ESPN’s television coverage consists of weekly half-hour shows usually shown Wednesday nights and repeating twice during the week. The next one is scheduled for Wednesday at 8 p.m. and repeating Sunday at 8 a.m. and Monday at 2 p.m. The schedule varies slightly each week. The original shows are tape delay because of the 16-hour time difference.