America’s Cup Rivals Join Against Conner : Sailing: The partnership to test and train on the advanced sloop France 1 gives the two groups an edge on the three-time winner.
Two America’s Cup defense candidates have entered a partnership that could make it more difficult for Dennis Conner to defend the America’s Cup in 1992.
Bill Koch’s America+3 syndicate on Monday purchased half interest in the America’s Cup Class sloop France 1 from David Lowry’s Beach Boys USA campaign.
The agreement to share the trial vessel that Lowry purchased from the French two months ago means Conner’s two first-time rivals for the right to defend have a test and training platform unavailable to the three-time America’s Cup champion.
“The importance in owning France is the knowledge to be gained from the boat, which is clearly the fastest ACC design presently in the water,” Lowry said. “Our designers think access to France is worth at least six to seven months in the design and training process. If we didn’t have the French boat, we wouldn’t have a chance against Conner.”
The agreement was finalized Monday night as Lowry’s workers prepared France for shipment from Sete, France, to San Diego. The boat is scheduled to begin sailing off Point Loma in early January.
When the boat begins sailing here, the Beach Boys crew, which sailed the boat last week in the Mediterranean, will sail it for five days. Then Koch’s crew will get it for four weeks.
The Beach Boys USA team officially will sail the boat in next May’s World Championships off Point Loma, although there will be five French crew members and a Koch observer among the 17-member crew.
“I broke all the rules when I bought the boat from the French,” Lowry said. “I think I’ve broken all the rules again.
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