THE SIDELINES : Conner Leads in Maxi Boat Series

Dennis Conner of the San Diego Yacht Club won the fifth race of the Maxi Boat Series on the yacht Emeraude, leading with a two-point cumulative margin over the Australian boat Sovereign.

Kialoa V and skipper Jim Kilroy had led most of the way with Emeraude in fourth. But while Kialoa was covering its closest competitor, Matador, on the last beat Tuesday, Emeraude slipped ahead and finished 22 seconds ahead of Kilroy. Matador was third.

Emeraude, owned by Frenchman Jacques Dewailly, is a lightweight boat with a fractional rig. In four days of racing, Conner has won two of the five races on the water and won another when Kialoa V was disqualified after finishing first.