San Diego Yacht Club Posts Defense Dates

The San Diego Yacht Club posted Saturday, Sept. 3, as the date of the first race of a best-of-three series to defend the America’s Cup with its catamaran against New Zealand’s 124-foot monohull from the Mercury Bay Boating Club.

Dates for the second and third (if needed) races were listed as Sept. 6 and 8. New Zealand has said the first race should be Sept. 19 but has indicated a willingness to adjust to avoid a conflict with the Olympic Games, which run Sept. 17-Oct. 2.

In a letter to Mercury Bay Commodore Toby Morcom, San Diego Commodore Doug Alford and Sail America’s executive vice president, Tom Ehman, also said, “We still propose a match comprising seven races . . . (and) a course identical to that (eight-leg triangular, three-times-around course) used in the last America’s Cup match in Perth.”

But barring any mutual agreement, the defense must be conducted under the terms of the Cup’s Deed of Gift, which calls for a best-of-three series on much longer, once-around courses.

The first race will be 20 nautical miles upwind, then return to the same starting point, the notice stated. Race 2 will be an equilateral triangular race of 39 nautical miles, the first side of which will be upwind. The third race, if necessary, would be the same as the first.

Ehman said the Americans hoped to have their two vessels, currently under construction, launched and in the water by the end of May.

“This will be a damned exciting race, if we can put eight months of turmoil behind us,” Ehman said.

“I hope our program is equal to the program seen by Mercury Bay; their craft is awesome,” Ehman added. “It’s certainly not a slam dunk for either side in September.”