America’s Cup : Long Beach Looks Like Headquarters for Races

Like two shy lovers brought together by the winds of fate--or, more accurately, the fate of winds--Sail America and Long Beach aren’t quite ready to announce the inevitability of their America’s Cup marriage.

“The situation is not firm yet,” Jim Ackerman, chairman of the city’s America’s Cup Committee, said at a press conference on the fantail of the Queen Mary Monday. “(But) they’re talking to no one else.”

Tom Ehman, Sail America’s executive director, confirmed by phone from San Diego that “We haven’t picked a host city yet” for the September sail-off against New Zealand.

But if Sail America hasn’t, Dennis Conner has.

Ackerman met with the Stars & Stripes skipper in San Diego last weekend, and The Times learned that the skipper plans to base his operation at the Marina Shipyard on Alamitos Bay on the east side of town and house most of his personnel in some 200 rooms at the Hyatt Edgewater across the street at Pacific Coast Highway and Second Street.

The crews and support personnel are expected to move in by August, with a vanguard arriving with the boat perhaps as early as April.

Shipyard operator Bud Tretter wouldn’t confirm the commitment but said, “It pleases us that we are being considered as a possibility to house Mr. Conner’s boat. We certainly would do all in our power to keep the Cup in America and on the West Coast.”

The shipyard, largest of its type in the Long Beach area, housed the Newport Harbor Yacht Club’s Eagle syndicate operation for two years before the last Cup competition in Australia started.

New Zealand may have a more difficult time finding a ready-made facility. The U.S. Naval Shipyard on Terminal Island indicated earlier it would cooperate with Sail America, if needed. But, a source said, because of national security considerations the Navy may not be willing to help New Zealand.

Besides, New Zealand refuses to let American nuclear-powered vessels into its harbors.

Last Friday, Sail America announced only that the event would be staged in September on “San Pedro Bay.” But two weeks earlier John Marshall, Sail America’s vice president, said the event probably would be in Long Beach or Hawaii, because of winds more favorable for the Stars & Stripes catamaran than the light zephyrs of San Diego.

And Long Beach apparently understands that it will have the defense because of those 12-to-18-knot winds, not because of any self-promotion or its 1988 centennial celebration.

“They think the waters and the winds of Long Beach will be better suited for this race,” Ackerman said.

The dates of the races are a more serious problem. Counting a seven-week hold while the case was in court, the 10-month notice of Michael Fay’s challenge is up Sept. 15, and the Olympic Games are scheduled in South Korea from Sept. 17 to Oct. 2.

Ehman doubts that Fay, with an advantage in lead time to prepare his boat, would yield to dates following the Olympics.

“He has indicated he won’t,” Ehman said.

Fay already has expressed displeasure at Stars & Stripes sailing a catamaran and moving the competition out of San Diego, and has hinted at taking the issues back to court.

Fay’s monohull is due to be launched March 27. The first of Stars & Stripes’ two multihulls is only about to start construction.

And because a conflict with the Olympics would hurt Sail America more than Fay in terms of media coverage and sponsorship, Ehman believes it will be up to the home side to suggest an earlier date.

“I hope we can start Sept. 4,” Ehman said. “It’s not clear to us that we have to use all the time he gave us. If we have to give up our precious design time, the guys have told me, ‘We’ll be ready.’ ”

Ackerman, a lawyer who was legal adviser to the Eagle syndicate, said, “The only way we can change Sept. 15 is by agreement with Fay. We don’t think he would want to buck the Olympics.”

Ackerman cited the ’84 Olympic sailing, volleyball and fencing and the annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach as examples of the city’s ability to stage major sporting events.

“And this event will bring more publicity to Long Beach than anything in history,” he said.

Ackerman said Sail America has indicated among its needs are a media center of up to 40,000 square feet--about four-fifths the size of a football field--and other facilities for headquarters and television operations.

“No request has been made of us so far that we didn’t think we can handle,” he said. “We have to assume this is going to be the place. We’re making commitments.”