Final Dates for ’92 Cup Announced

The dates for the best-of-seven 1992 America’s Cup finals were announced Friday, and in a change from recent races, the series will have scheduled off days.

The opening race between the U.S. defender and a foreign challenger is set for Saturday, May 9, 1992. Races two, three and four are scheduled for May 10, 12 and 14, and the fifth through seventh races, if necessary, would be May 16, 17 and 19.

The schedule eliminates the practice of “called lay days,” under which either competitor had the option of calling for an off day twice during the final.

Under the new rules, races will be held on Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. If weather forces postponement of a race, it will be held on the next scheduled race day.

The schedule was announced by Tom Ehman, general manager of the America’s Cup Organizing Committee. Ehman said the new format will make it easier to plan for television and spectator control and avoid conflict with the Navy, which has ship movements on Mondays and Fridays. Starting time for each race is expected to be 1 p.m., which Ehman said would be ideal for worldwide live television. It would coincide with late evening in Europe and the next morning in Australia, Japan and New Zealand. The announcement came at the conclusion of two days of meetings among the challenger syndicates.

Eighteen of the 20 challenger syndicates that have paid the $25,000 entry fee attended; the German and Swiss groups did not. Ehman said the German group, based in Hamburg, told him a major sponsor has been lost but that it still intends to enter a boat.

The challengers spent part of the closing session discussing the availability of dock and facility space in San Diego. The syndicates have been concerned about the cost of renting private facilities.

Ehman said a possible solution might be to utilize the 10th Avenue Marine Terminal in San Diego and the National City Marine Terminal at 24th Street. Both are cargo facilities controlled by the San Diego Unified Port District. Ehman said he would speak with port district officials shortly about their use.

In other America’s Cup business:

--Ehman announced the dates for next year’s first World Championships in the new 75-feet International America’s Cup Class: May 11-18 in San Diego. Ehman said there are plans to hold a series of tune-up races the week before.

--The challengers group agreed advertising would be permitted on the sail and hull of the boats but that no tobacco advertising would be allowed. The size and amount of advertising has not been determined.

Ehman said the advertising and other issues would be discussed with the defenders’ group during meetings Tuesday and Wednesday in San Diego.