Australian Skipper Scouts S.D. Sites; Officials Buoyed

Vanquished America’s Cup skipper Iain Murray, who sailed Australia’s Kookaburra III against Dennis Conner and Stars & Stripes last month in Fremantle, visited San Diego this week on an initial scouting trip to survey possible America’s Cup facilities.

Murray’s visit, along with that of his navigator, Peter Gilmour, was hailed Friday by officials from San Diego’s America’s Cup Task Force as being an indication that foreign syndicates, and the Australians in particular, believe the next Cup defense will probably be held in San Diego.

“Iain Murray is here now looking for a site for his syndicate,” said San Diego County Supervisor Brian Bilbray, chairman of the task force, which met for the second time Friday.

Also appearing at the task force meeting, which was closed to the public, were two Australian officials who helped put on the Cup races in Fremantle, John Osborn of the Western Australia Tourism Commission and John Horgan, chairman of the Western Australia Development Corp.

“Our secret weapon is we have the Australians with us,” said Bilbray, explaining that the Australians had provided the task force with information San Diego can use in formulating its proposal to have the Cup regatta here. A site-selection committee approved by the San Diego Yacht Club has yet to be appointed.

Sandy Purdon, executive director of Sail America, the organization that sponsored Conner, said in an interview that Murray and Gilmour arrived in San Diego on Wednesday on their way to Annapolis, Md., and had spent a couple of days scouting the city. Both men are scheduled to return to Southern California soon for the Congressional Cup races off Long Beach. It’s likely, Purdon said, that Murray will return to San Diego then.

The two other Australian officials were on a trip to another destination when they were asked to stop and speak to the task force, Bilbray said. Another Australian, Noel Semmens of the Royal Perth Yacht Club, is expected to visit and advise the task force in a few weeks.

He said the task force expects to have a draft proposal in about three months and a final, polished proposal in six.

It’s also now likely that the next Cup races will be held in four years rather than three, in order for preparations to be complete, Bilbray said he was told by Sail America officials.