San Diego Is Given the Nod by Conner : Announcement Ends Speculation Over His America’s Cup Defense Site Choice
After months of speculation that he might endorse Hawaii as the site for the next America’s Cup race, skipper Dennis Conner said Thursday that San Diego, his hometown, should host the yachting event.
Conner’s announcement put to rest rumors that he favored having the event in Hawaii because of better sailing conditions there. In April, Conner said that although he felt emotional ties to San Diego, light winds off the coast might put his defense of the Cup at a disadvantage.
“I’ve often said that the America’s Cup should be wherever it’s best for the America’s Cup. I still stand by that,” Conner, whose crew won the Cup in February, said at a press conference at the San Diego Yacht Club. “At this point, I’m in a position to say that San Diego is the site for the 1991 America’s Cup, as long as the community is able to commit the resources necessary to host it.”
Light Winds No Problem
Conner and his crew trained in Hawaii before the races in Fremantle, Australia, when Conner recaptured the trophy he had lost to Australia four years before.
On Thursday, Conner said he had put off endorsing a race site because the selection committee had not been picked. He added that Thursday was an appropriate day to make his announcement because the Stars & Stripes, the boat Conner piloted to victory, finally returned to San Diego. It is the first time the yacht has been in the United States since it left Hawaii for Australia in July, 1986.
Conner said San Diego is “obviously a great place to sail,” and as long as state and local governments provide the financial support needed to host the event, San Diego should be the 1991 America’s Cup venue.
Conner discounted the significance of relatively light winds off the coast of San Diego, saying that “there’s a lot more to an America’s Cup than just strong winds.”
“Properly done, I’m convinced the TV coverage will be more interesting in light winds (than in heavy winds),” he said. Conner noted that the dramatic America’s Cup race in 1983--”probably the most exciting race in history”--was held in light winds off Newport, R.I.
Boat Obsolete
Because of rapidly advancing technology, the Stars & Stripes 12-meter vessel is already obsolete, so the new boat will have to be redesigned to function well in light winds, Conner said.
The America’s Cup site selection committee meets Sunday in San Diego, and theoretically a venue could be chosen then, according to an aide to County Supervisor Brian Bilbray, who heads a task force to bring the defense of the America’s Cup to San Diego.
Sporting a starred-and-striped tie, sunglasses perched atop his head, Conner used Thursday’s press conference to plug some of his recent ventures, including the release of a book, “Comeback,” and lithographs depicting Stars & Stripes. He also announced that he intends to bring an America’s Cup museum to San Diego.