Conner in Fourth in Sailing Series

America’s Cup hero Dennis Conner, skipper of the 72-foot yacht Il Moro di Venezia, was in fourth place Thursday midway through the opening competition in the Southern Ocean Racing Conference series.

The six-race SORC, which concludes March 25 with the 25-mile Nassau Cup, began Thursday morning with a 158-mile sail from St. Petersburg to Boca Grande and back. Temperatures climbed into the low 80s with a steady 10-m.p.h. breeze out of the southeast that helped the seven classes of sailboats participating in the SORC.

Competing in his first event since winning the America’s Cup in Fremantle, Australia, three weeks ago, Conner guided Il Moro to a quick bow-length lead after starting on the inside position of the International Offshore Rule Class I maxi yachts. Matador and Winter Hawk started to pull away from the field at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which leads to Bradenton and Sarasota, as Conner’s yacht fell back to sixth.

Matador maintained the Class I advantage and the sailboats were expected to reach Boca Grande late Thursday night. Sunday, the SORC will feature the start of the 403-mile sail from St. Petersburg to Fort Lauderdale.