Great Britain’s Blue Arrow Will Not Sail in Exhibition

Great Britain’s Blue Arrow challenge, which lost a court bid to participate in the America’s Cup, Monday decided against sending its newly built 65-foot sloop to San Diego for possible post-Cup exhibitions against the American and New Zealand syndicates.

Blue Arrow syndicate director Peter de Savary said in a statement from London that he saw no point in sending his monohull to San Diego given New Zealand’s unwillingness to race against it.

Michael Fay’s 132-foot sloop New Zealand is scheduled to meet the San Diego Yacht Club’s 60-foot catamaran, skippered by Dennis Conner, in a best-of-three series scheduled to start Sept. 7 off San Diego.

The one-on-one match is the result of a New York State Supreme Court judge’s ruling last November in which Fay’s maverick challenge was deemed valid. The ruling scuttled the San Diego Yacht Club’s plans for a 1991 multinational regatta in 12-meter yachts, which had been used in America’s Cup competition for the past 30 years.

In another decision last month, the New York court ordered New Zealand and the United States to proceed with the race series despite the Kiwis’ objections to the use of a catamaran as a defender. The judge said New Zealand could raise the issue again if it wants at the conclusion of the races.

At the same time, the judge said Blue Arrow could not participate in the event without the approval of both the New Zealand and San Diego syndicates.

For the first time, the Stars and Stripes catamaran sailed with its new wing sail Monday, three days after the wing-sail mast arrived in San Diego. The new-wing sail, which took eight weeks to build, is 18 feet taller and about 40% larger than the first wing sail and is designed to enhance the boat’s speed in light wind conditions.

BASEBALL

La Mesa defeated Chambersburg, Pa., 8-2, to advance in the Pony League World Series in Washington, Pa.

Jason Eskridge allowed four hits and struck out nine for La Mesa, but lost a shutout when Chambersburg catcher Rob Patterson hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning.

TENNIS

Linda Allred of Del Mar defeated Tonya Evans of Philadelphia, 6-1, 6-4, to advance to the second round of the U.S. National Amateur women’s tennis championships at the Conord Hotel at Kiamesha Lake, N.Y.