Cup Defenders Could Be Few : Conner, Isler Only Ones Willing to Sail for SDYC?
A 1992 America’s Cup defense at San Diego could be Dennis Conner and Peter Isler against the world.
There are currently 23 challengers, but no other Americans had indicated they would compete for the Cup before this week’s ruling by the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court to return the Cup from New Zealand. If the ruling stands, any American prospect would have to defend for the San Diego Yacht Club, reducing the incentive.
The late Tom Blackaller, sailing for the St. Francis Yacht Club of San Francisco, said after losing to Conner in the challenge semifinals at Fremantle in ’87 that he was through with the Cup for good.
“Why would I want to defend the Cup for San Diego?” he said.
Tom Ehman, executive vice president and general manager of San Diego’s America’s Cup Organizing Committee, said he hoped to encourage other Americans to compete in order to strengthen the defense.
Isler, who was Conner’s navigator at Fremantle, recently announced his own campaign for the Waikiki Yacht Club if New Zealand were going to be the defender. Isler, a San Diego resident, now will compete with Conner to defend for the SDYC.
“The (ultimate) challenger will have a big advantage on the defender in sheer numbers,” Isler said. “You need a high level of competition to hone the defender for whomever becomes the challenger.”
Several of the challengers--including new efforts from Japan, West Germany and Italy--figure to be much better funded than any American syndicate.
Conner was quoted in a press release from Team Dennis Conner: “The foreigners are strong, financed and already building boats. In order to keep the Cup in America, we will need a strong, unified effort between corporate America, individual contributors and Team Dennis Conner.”
Foreigner syndicates also have at least two Americans committed to their efforts. Rod Davis--referred to by Conner as “Benedict Davis”--was New Zealand’s crew chief in the San Diego event last December and stands to skipper the New Zealand entry at San Diego, his hometown, in ’92.
Also, Paul Cayard, Blackaller’s tactician at Fremantle, has signed on with the well-heeled Italian syndicate of soybean tycoon Raoul Guastini at a rumored $500,000 a year.
Isler said this week’s decision “shocked me at first, but I’m really happy because it’s closer to being over. It should also help the fund-raising. Even if the Cup does go to appeal, it’s been back in the news and seems to be back on track.”
Isler has signed designer Bruce Nelson, a member of Conner’s design team in ‘87, to create one of the new America’s Cup class of boats.
“We should be ready to start building in 30 days,” Isler said.
Conner has not announced a designer. John Marshall, who headed his ’87 and ’88 teams, said recently he would no longer be working with Conner.