America’s Cup Trials : New Zealanders Sail to Another Easy Win

One of the better selling T-shirts here asserts that “nobody can like a Kiwi can,” and nobody’s arguing.

Nobody else dared to build a 12-meter out of fiberglass, disposing of the competition like so many aluminum cans.

Nobody has a skipper as young as Chris Dickson, 25, who, in his country’s first America’s Cup competition, is carrying the hopes of 3.4 million New Zealand citizens in a totally unreasonable quest.

How can this tiny, two-island nation take on the technology and talent of the world powers and succeed?

Very nicely, it seems. The Kiwis invaded Fremantle with their “plastic fantastic” KZ7, accompanied by a helicopter and two Maori war canoes. Two months later, the beachhead seems secure.

On Sunday, the Kiwis (27-1, 126 points) smoked their nearest contender, French Kiss (17-11, 93), by 4 minutes 43 seconds, allowing their real rival, Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes (22-6, 94), to move back into second place with a comfortable 1:32 victory over Buddy Melges’ Heart of America.

In a key race, sailed in winds of 15 to 21 knots, Tom Blackaller steered USA (18-10, 79) from behind on the last leg to beat Harold Cudmore’s White Crusader (18-10, 79) by three seconds--less than a boat length.

Both skippers filed protests over an incident when Cudmore luffed Blackaller (using his leeward rights to force Blackaller to tack) on the first leg. The protests were disallowed today, allowing America II (22-6, 80) to slip past the British boat back into the critical fourth spot after beating Italia, which dropped out after trailing by 30 seconds at the last mark.

Eagle (9-19, 36) ended a six-race losing streak by clobbering last-place Challenge France by 3:05, and Canada II dumped Azzurra by 3:50.

New Zealand’s win was its 18th straight since a 49-second loss to Conner Oct. 17. Besides ensuing wins over Conner by 0:58 and 0:32, its closest race in the streak has been 1:25 against USA. The Kiwis’ success has sent shock waves rolling back home.

“At one stage we thought we had a big team when we had close to a hundred people,” Dickson said. “The reports I gather from back in New Zealand now are that 3.4 million people are the heart of the challenge.

“For certain, all of New Zealand feels a part of it.”

Most of them probably are, if they have any money in the bank. The Bank of New Zealand is the primary sponsor. Where finances are concerned, as the Aussies say, no worries.

The world shouldn’t be too surprised. New Zealand may have the best sailors per capita of any country. Kiwis won two gold medals and a bronze in the seven Olympic classes at Long Beach in ‘84--and Dickson couldn’t even make that team.

The national character doesn’t seem to be the type that folds in the clutch.

“Our whole team is a young team,” Dickson said. “Our country is a young country. Obviously, we’re aware of it and we’re geared for it.

“Looking at the way our crew handles it, take our race against Stars & Stripes in round two. We were totally ragged up, visibility 200 yards and you’re up against one of the top boats. We spent probably the first 2 1/2, 3 hours within a boat length of each other in very shifty conditions, blowing our sails, losing sails over the side, action all day, the mainsail falling down twice, and I think our guys handled it pretty well.

“If it’s a question of how we’re going to handle pressure, that was a good test, and those guys came through with full points.”

America’s Cup Notes The defenders’ trials have turned into an orchestrated farce, in effect already reaching the finals more than five weeks ahead of schedule. Kookaburra II (15-10) sacrificed itself to stablemate Kookaburra III (24-2) again Sunday to maintain the leaders’ six-point margin over onrushing Australia IV (20-6). It was Kookaburra III’s sixth straight win over KII. The latter has led in every race--twice at the last mark, the last three times at the next-to-last mark--but always managed to lose by margins of 0:02, 0:06, 1:32, 0:04, 0:23 and 0:26. With that kind of team racing, Australia IV will have virtually no chance to overtake Kookaburra III before the finals.