AMERICA’S CUP ’92 : SYNDICATES AT A GLANCE : A MONTHLY PROGRESS REPORT

DEFENDERS TEAM DENNIS CONNER * Yacht club: San Diego * Syndicate head: Dennis Conner * Skipper: Dennis Conner * Budget: $20 million * Boats: First due to be completed in March; will build second and possibly third if funding sufficient. * Designers: Bruce Nelson, David Pedrick, Alberto Calderon, Chris Todter (coordinator). * IACC Worlds: One boat. * Comments: Conner, with funding problems, no crew assembled and no boat in the water, would appear to be trailing badly, but the fires are just starting to burn. To stay sharp while others were testing their new boats, Conner placed second in the Etchells 22 world championships at Fremantle last month. Once he starts sailing his new boat, Conner figures to catch up fast. With only two defenders, there will be no shortage of sailing talent available. AMERICA-3 * Yacht club: San Diego * Syndicate head: Bill Koch * Skipper-helmsmen: Bill Koch, Gary Jobson, Buddy Melges * Budget: $30 million * Boats: Bought boat from French for training; own first boat due in April, second will be started following IACC Worlds in May. third probable. * Designers: Doug Peterson, Jim Reichel, Jim Pugh, Heiner Meldner. * IACC Worlds: Probably two boats. * Comment: Don’t be fooled by his $650 million. Koch is a serious sailor, not a dilettante, and he has a wealth of resources in technology, talented people and funding. But he’ll have to overcome Conner’s savvy in this venue. CHALLENGERS SPIRIT OF AUSTRALIA * Yacht club: Darling Harbour * Syndicate head: Iain Murray * Skipper: Peter Gilmour * Boats: One; hope to start construction this fall. * Designer: Iain Murray * Budget: Unknown; have gained recent support from Quantas and Channel 9, Australia’s largest TV network. * IACC Worlds: No. * Comment: These were the Cup finalists in ‘87, and they’re being overlooked because they’re short of cash. They probably will build only one boat, but if they get it right--and with Murray’s knack for organization and design they might--they could win it all. Gilmour is one of the world’s top five sailors, and Australia has a wealth of sailing talent for crew. AUSTRALIAN CHALLENGE * Yacht club: Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron * Syndicate head: Syd Fischer * Skipper: Colin Beashal possible. * Boat: One under construction. * Designer: Peter van Oossanen * Budget: $10 million. * IACC Worlds: No. * Comment: Another Quixotic effort by the wealthy and colorful Fischer, whose Steak ‘n’ Kidney 12-meter actually became competitive--but too late--at Fremantle in ’87. Won’t win but could be interesting. Oossanen is remembered as the Dutchman who tested--some said designed--the controversial winged keel for Australia II in 1982. BLUE ARROW CHALLENGE (ENGLAND) * Yacht club: Port Pendennis * Syndicate head: Peter John de Savary * Skipper: Lawrie Smith * Boat: Hope to get one built. * Designer: Derek Clark, coordinator * Budget: $14 million * IACC Worlds: No. * Comment: De Savary is a former, fiery Cup campaigner who hasn’t been seen since ‘82-83, when his Victory performed well. But it’s been a long time since Brittania ruled the waves, and de Savary seems woefully out of it this time. ASS’N POUR L’AMERICA’S CUP EN FRANCE * Yacht club: Yacht Club de France * Syndicate head: Eric A. Ogden * Skipper: Marc Pajot * Boat: Building second one; third possible. * Designer: Phillippe Briand * Budget: $16 million * IACC Worlds: Hope to sail one boat. * Comment: This has been a drawing room farce. Their first boat seemed fast, but to stay afloat they had to sell it to the Beach Boys USA syndicate, which in turn folded and sold out to America-3. Then Paris Mayor Jacques Chirac promised $6.4 million in public funds to build a second boat. Meanwhile, skipper Marc Pajot, a national hero, tried to fire syndicate leader Eric Ogden, who responded by trying to fire Pajot. Chirac threatened to stop payment unless Pajot prevailed. When alternates Marc Bouet and Bertrand Pace refused to replace Pajot, Ogden’s coup collapsed. Now corporate giant Pierre Legris also has come in with $7 million as a major sponsor, taken charge, rehired Pajot with reduced responsibilities and fired Ogden. With money and Pajot, who skippered the immortal “French Kiss” at Fremantle, the French could be a factor. IL MORO DI VENEZIA (ITALY) * Yacht club: Compagnia Della Vela * Syndicate head: Raul Gardini * Skipper: Paul Cayard * Boats: Two sailing, one on the way, plan to build a fourth. * Designer: German Frers * Budget: $40 million-plus. * IACC Worlds: One boat. * Comment: One of the big three challengers, along with Mercury Bay and Nippon. This is the billionaire Gardini’s first America’s Cup enterprise, and he has thrown the resources of his Montedison Nippon Challenge (Japan) * Yacht club: Nippon Ocean Racing * Syndicate head: Tatsumitsu Yamasaki * Skipper: Chris Dickson; Makoto Namba an outside possibility * Boats: Two sailing, another on the way. A fourth if they think they need it. * Designer: NCAC Design Team * IACC Worlds: Two boats. * Budget: $46 million * Comment: Another maiden effort with a solid shot, based on strong funding, Dickson’s talent and Japan’s technology. The questions are whether the Japanese, having never tried, can build a winning Cup boat, and how Dickson’s crew will perform under Cup pressure. B.B.C. Challenge (Japan) * Yacht club: Bengal Bay * Syndicate head: Masakazu Kobayashi * Boats: Planned to buy first from New Zealand’s Mercury Bay Challenge, but that and construction of own boats on hold because of funding problems. * Designers: Osamu Takai * Budget: Unknown * IACC Worlds: Questionable. * Comment: Kobayashi seemed serious after the ’87 competition when he bought the Australia II and III 12-meters from Alan Bond, then hired New Zealand talent and technology and paid his first $150,000 ante. But the program has gone dead in the water. Mercury Bay Club (New Zealand) * Yacht Club: Mercury Bay * Syndicate head: Sir Michael Fay * Skipper: David Barnes (current) or Rod Davis * Boats: Three built, two sailing. Fourth may be built after Worlds. * Designer: Bruce Farr * Budget: Undisclosed. * IACC Worlds: Undecided on one or two boats. * Comment: Unquestioned sailing talent, the world’s top designer of ocean racers and Fay’s finances and hardened resolve to win the Cup will be a tough combination to beat. Had planned to sell one boat to Bengal Bay for training; will probably sell or charter it to another struggling syndicate (see Sweden). Red Star (Soviet Union) * Yacht club: Ocean Racing Club of Leningrad. * Syndicate head: Valentin Stepanov * Skipper: Guram Biganishivli * Boats: First (aluminum) due in March; two of carbon fiber to be started in June or July. * Designer: Consortium. * Budget: $10 million for San Diego operations; boat costs (rubles) unknown. * IACC Worlds: One boat (unofficial entry because of aluminum construction, no longer allowed in America’s Cup). * Comment: The Soviets are not yet receiving the best of American hospitality. The U.S. Navy and Coast Guard seem determined to keep them out of San Diego Bay for security reasons, restricting them to the less-convenient Mission Bay and the ocean. They built an aluminum boat first not because they didn’t know the rules but because it was faster and easier. They do understand carbon fiber technology. Their boats are being built in the same building that produced the first Sputnik and the plant that produces the Buran space shuttles. Espana 92/Quinto Centenario (Spain) * Yacht club: Monte Real Club de Yates de Bayona * Syndicate head: Pedro Campos Calvo-Sotelo * Skipper: Undetermined. * Boats: One sailing; another due after the Worlds. * Designer: Oficina Tecnica de Desafio Espana Copa America * Budget: Unknown * IACC Worlds: Probably not. * Comment: In their maiden Cup effort, the Spaniards made news when the 15-ton bulb fell off the bottom of their keel. They have since recovered their keel and their poise, and have been getting boosts from King Juan Carlos--an avid sailor--in arousing sponsorship and from veteran Cup campaigner Harold Cubmore or Ireland in whipping the crew into shape. The Spaniards, supported by the “Christopher Columbus Committee,” are motivated by the 500-year anniversary of the discovery of America. New Sweden * Yacht club: Stenungsbaden * Syndicate head: Tomas Wallin * Skipper: Olle Johannson * Boat: Have inquired about buying boat from New Zealand for training but must build own to be eligible for Cup in ’92. * Designer: New Sweden Design Team. * Budget: Undetermined. * IACC Worlds: If they can buy or borrow a boat. * Comment: King Carl XVI Gustaf kicked in $150,000 bond and has helped to raise additional support. But all the kings horses and all the king’s men won’t be enough in this game. Yacoma d.d. (Yugoslavia) * Yacht club: Galeb * Syndicate head: Bojan Butolen * Skipper: Undetermined. * Boat: One being built of wood. Plan to build a second of carbon fiber. * Designer: Stanislav Kovacevic Nano * Budget: Unknown. * IACC Worlds: No. * Comment: A Cinderella effort, with commendable organizational and marketing strategy. The Yugoslavs have been running an international match-racing event for a few years, but most of their success has been in dinghy classes. They’ll deserve a lot of credit if they just get to the starting line.