Inexperienced Crew Wins With ‘Heart’ : Sailing: Heart of America makes successful return to racing with victory over two other 12-meter yachts in BMW regatta.

When skipper Vince Simms and members of his crew boarded the 12-meter yacht Heart of America before its challenge race against America II and Stars & Stripes ’86 on San Diego Bay Saturday, they all had one thing in common. None of them had never raced the sailboat before.

They could have been more prepared for the first West Coast race between three 12-meter yachts, the featured event of the fifth BMW regatta. All three were U.S. boats built to contend for the America’s Cup in Fremantle, Australia, in 1987.

But when they passed America II on a tight turn on the last buoy and headed for the finish, Simms and his crew looked as though they had turned back the clock. They went on to beat America II by two minutes and Stars & Stripes by four.

“I was going to run a conservative race,” said Simms, who normally serves as a sheet trimmer on Stars & Stripes ’86. “But I got more confident in my crew as the race went on. So I decided to go to the line, go for the gusto.”

Heart of America got off to a quick start and led as the three sailed west from Harbor Island toward Point Loma, but America II had the best line and moved in front as the boats circled the first buoy west of North Island. Heart of America had to tack to make the turn; America II didn’t.

But that might have worked in Heart of America’s favor. When the two yachts reached the critical second turn in front of the Seaport Village Embarcadero and had to drop their spinnakers, Heart of America out-maneuvered America II, knifed its way inside and took the wind.

At one point, the two boats were parallel as they made the turn, and Simms yelled at America II skipper Philip Freedman to give him the right of way. Simms had gambled on the tack maneuver, waiting until the last possible second to drop his spinnaker. In doing so, Heart of America came from two lengths back to catch America II.

“I yelled as loud as I could, ‘Give me room,’ ” Simms said. “Our hulls were overlapped enough to where we were permitted by racing rights to take the inside.”

While Heart of America had wrested away the lead, America II floundered when shielded from the 12-knot breeze.

“We did three tacks (to get out from behind Heart of America’s main sail) and got down to about four knots,” Freedman said. “They just pulled away.”

Of the three boats that raced Saturday, Heart of America was the only one to race in America’s Cup qualifying rounds. The boat, built by the Chicago Yacht Club, was eliminated only after it lost a crewman overboard and a spinnaker poll snapped during a race. This was its first race since it had sat in storage for three years.

But the crew members who sailed her to victory were relative novices. Among those on board were a college student, an insurance salesman and two women, one a kindergarten teacher.

“I anticipated winning,” Simms said. “My biggest fear was the unknown, my crew. None of them are experienced. I’m delighted.”

Well, Simms did have a ringer, tactician Larry Klein, who is heading a local syndicate to challenge in the 1992 America’s Cup. But Simms said Klein played only a minor role.

“He confirmed everything I knew already,” Simms said, “and told me to just shut up and drive.”