Stars & Stripes Gets New Spinnaker : Sail Might Help Conner Keep Abreast of Kookaburra III

The rival camps and neutral observers agree that Kookaburra III is faster downwind than Stars & Stripes, but Dennis Conner may have found a weapon, named Dolly, to close the gap.

Dolly is a chesty, triple-tiered spinnaker sail borrowed from America II, whose crew, after studying its proportions, christened it in honor of Dolly Parton.

America II was eliminated in the trial rounds, but Dolly lives on, inhaling the fresh air out on Gage Roads.

Stars & Stripes has been practicing with the sail before starting the best-of-seven America’s Cup finals Saturday. The sail, bearing America II’s distinctive red and blue stripes across the middle, was designed by a French parachutist and incorporates similar principles. It also is being called the “wedding cake” spinnaker for its three scalloped tiers high across the chest.

It was first spotted during Stars & Stripes’ practice sail Sunday.

“We’ve had it up five times in the last month, but this is the first time anybody’s seen it,” tactician Tom Whidden said. “When America II was so generous to loan us some sails, it was one we wanted to try. They reckoned it was two-tenths of a knot faster.

“We didn’t want to test it earlier because somebody might see it and have time to duplicate it.”

Two-tenths of a knot would probably erase Kookaburra’s downwind edge, and trials over the last few days indicate that Stars & Stripes already has an edge upwind. New Zealand’s KZ7 has been at least as fast as Kookaburra upwind, where Stars & Stripes enjoyed an edge over the Kiwis.

Buddy Melges, skipper of Heart of America and now a TV commentator for Perth’s Channel 7, said the sail also was offered to his syndicate, “but we never had time to test it.”

Melges said the design of the sail gives it a fuller shape.

“It would have more lift and control (than a conventional spinnaker), but it’s so big that you’d have to use it in 15 knots of wind or more,” Melges said. “It works like a sky diver’s parachute.”

Kookaburra skipper Iain Murray was unsure of what effect the spinnaker would have.

“Whether it’s feasible, I’m not in position to say, and I don’t know if they are, either,” he said. “It may be just a psychological ploy, or it may be a true endeavor to find more speed.”

Murray said Kookaburra had no plans to try to duplicate it.

“We would expect to have an advantage over Dennis in lighter breezes,” he said.

A week ago, Alan Bond refused to lend his trademark boxing kangaroo flag to the Kookaburras, arousing Kevin Parry’s wrath.

But Monday was Australia Day and Aussie spirit was flowing. Bond not only turned his battle flag over to the Kookaburras but underlined the gesture with a $100,000 check.

“It’s appropriate that on this Australia Day, all Australia should be getting behind the boat that’s defending the Cup,” Bond said at a press conference.

Parry, meanwhile, was in China about to close a massive TV deal.

As for the boxing kangaroo flag that Dennis Conner put up in front of the Stars & Stripes compound during the Bond-Parry row, Bond said: “We own the copyright (but) we’ve got to look at this as an international sport, and if Dennis is prepared to publicize Australia by flying our boxing kangaroo, I’m sure Australians are quite proud to see it flying there.”

Murray said he, too, would fly it on the Kookaburra headstay.

“I have vivid memories of it streaming into the dock late one September night in ’83 (at Newport, R.I.), with blue lights flashing and (press officer) Bruno Trouble spraying champagne on everyone,” Murray said. “I’m sure it will be flying.”

America’s Cup Notes Dennis Conner and Kookaburra skipper Iain Murray are no longer strangers. They met accidentally at a local restaurant, then Murray visited the Stars & Stripes dock Monday as his team’s representative for the official measuring of Stars & Stripes ’87. He came upon Conner on the way out and the two chatted pleasantly for a few minutes. . . . As expected, the Royal Perth Yacht Club officially designated Kookaburra III as the defender after “speed trials” with Kookaburra II. “The boats are very close in speed,” Murray said. “We certainly improved KII. It was worth the effort to try to leap-frog our second boat to be our first boat.” Improvements included a new keel, the 16th variation tried by the Kookaburras. Kookaburra II sailed with Kookaburra III for only 2 1/2 days but Murray said: “I think we had enough time.”