America’s Cup Notebook : Fischer Rails at Scoring Rule Again

Syd Fischer may have finally struck the right chord in his one-man war against the Royal Perth Yacht Club.

“This is an opportunity for the committee to demonstrate to the world at large that they are not men in red pants and straw hats,” Fischer wrote.

The reference was to the omnipotent officials of the New York Yacht Club who held a stranglehold on the America’s Cup for 132 years. Earlier, Fischer had called them “stuffed shirts.”

The 59-year-old Australian sailing maverick is firing off almost daily salvos in his Quixotic campaign to eliminate the point-scoring system in the semifinals so his Steak’n Kidney 12-meter from Sydney, matched against the multi-million-dollar operations of West Australian industrialists Kevin Parry and Alan Bond, would have a chance to reach the defender finals.

“Otherwise,” Fischer said, “we’re lame ducks.”

The boat lost 20 straight races until the latest series when it put on a new keel and won 4 of 12 (one by default) for all of its 12 points. Kookaburra II would carry forward 53 points, Australia IV, 50, and Australia III, 12.

In his latest assault, Fischer cites the original Notice of Regatta in which the race committee is given the privilege to adjust the scoring system if “unforeseen circumstances (are) likely to lead to an anomalous result or to one or more yachts being disproportionately penalized.”

Steak’n Kidney has been sailing against the current all the way. Fischer’s Eastern Australia Defence Syndicate is so under-financed that it doesn’t even have a budget.

“When we need something, we buy it,” Fischer said recently. “I don’t think the boat’s ever wanted for anything.”

He won’t say how much has been spent to keep the effort afloat.

“One former crew member described me as being frugal,” Fischer said, his weather-beaten face revealing the rare trace of a smile. “I think that’s a pretty accurate description.”

Fischer is gaining support from the common man. He claims the Royal Perth has received many letters in his behalf, and Australian newspapers have picked up the cause.

They all miss a point. Although it is more competitive now, Steak’n Kidney still hasn’t beaten either of the top two boats, Kookaburra III and Australia IV, which it must do to reach the finals, anyway.

Perhaps John Bertrand has a more practical, if not as popular, idea.

Bertrand, who sailed Australia II in ‘83, is writing a cup column for the Perth Daily News, in which he not only urged the committee not to change the scoring system but to boot out Steak’n Kidney and third-place Kookaburra II now so K-III and A-IV could get on with their inevitable head-to-head sailing as soon as possible.

That, Bertrand suggests, would better sharpen the ultimate defender for the challenge starting Jan. 31.

Fair play has nothing to do with it.

The powerhouse Australian syndicates have been quietly watching and waiting the challengers’ controversy over New Zealand’s fiberglass KZ7.

“Right now it’s none of our business,” says Warren Jones, executive director for Bond’s group. “It’s the business of the challengers, and we should not stick our oar into it.

“Now, when we become defender and if they become challenger, then maybe there may be some discussion.”

Kookaburra skipper Iain Murray says: “We concur with Warren on that subject.”

Routine resurveys were being completed today on KZ7 and the other three semifinalists. An unconfirmed report said the indignity of a core sample--a round hole a few inches in diameter--was performed on the New Zealand hull under the syndicate’s protest.

BNZ Challenge spokesman Peter Debreceny said: “I very much doubt it. What I do know is that the resurvey is continuing today, and I haven’t heard anything about core samples.

“The reality of the situation is that Lloyd’s (Register of Shipping) has said (in the past) there is no need for core samples, and if core samples were taken it would damage the integrity of the boat.”

The aluminum rivals had to slap on fillers to smooth out depressions in their hulls caused by flexing and stress. USA and French Kiss in particular had started to look like Tijuana taxis, but Stars & Stripes was relatively clean.

Results were due to be announced late this afternoon by R.J. Rymill, principal surveyor for Lloyd’s.

Even if New Zealand gets a clean bill now and then becomes the challenger, look for the Aussies to go after the Kiwis in January.

Losing gracefully is an America’s Cup tradition, and Eagle and America II are measuring up to it.

The Newport Beach group threw a snack-and-dance party for about 500 people from other syndicates, some media and Cup officials at the Fremantle Sailing Club Sunday night. Director John Griffith, in red blazer and white pants flocked with Eagle emblems, and skipper Rod Davis smiled bravely all night.

A week after America II was eliminated, good feelings remain around Fremantle for the New York syndicate, which missed the semifinals by one point but went down without a whine or complaint.

The America II people changed a lot of people’s attitudes about the New York Yacht Club, which sponsored the effort. They were cooperative and friendly. They stayed out of the KZ7 dispute. Nobody here had better public relations.

The day after they were eliminated, they even invited the press down to their dock--heretofore, off limits, as was everybody’s--to see the boat off on the last day of racing.

The American John Bertrand, who was America II’s tactician, said he wouldn’t mind returning to Fremantle for another challenge.

“Everything is really nice down here, a lot like Southern California with the beaches and the climate,” Bertrand said. “The people are really friendly.”

As for the sailing, “It’s a knock-down, drag-out type of course, and that’s pretty exciting. On the boat everyone’s just hanging on, barely able to get the sails up and down, barely able to stay on board. That’s pretty exciting stuff.

“If it leaves this area, that would be the biggest disappointment. It would probably go someplace where conditions aren’t as ideal as they are here.”

Such as Auckland, New Zealand? “It would be real extreme there,” Bertrand said, “very, very windy.”