AMERICA’S CUP : Soviets Will Miss World Championships

The Soviet Union’s Red Star entry has withdrawn from the first International America’s Cup Class world championships at San Diego in May because of construction delays caused by what a syndicate press release called “last-minute design modifications.”

However, a late entry from Spain is expected to keep the entries at 10. The Spanish Espana 92/Quinto Centenario syndicate probably will charter New Zealand’s third boat for the worlds, since its boat won’t arrive until later.

The Soviets’ boat is tentatively scheduled to arrive April 25 aboard a Soviet Air Force transport.

“The boat and crew will not be race-ready in time,” skipper Guram Biganishvili said. “(Meanwhile) we will be keenly watching all competitors and taking careful notes.”

The Red Star was an unofficial entry in the IACC worlds, anyway, and would have been ineligible for the Cup competition in ’92 because of its aluminum construction, which is no longer allowed.

However, the Soviets plan to use it for training and hope to have a carbon-fiber boat delivered this fall.

The Soviets also have not resolved their dispute with the Port Security Committee about not being allowed to set up camp in San Diego Bay. Their first boat will be tied up temporarily at the Hyatt Islandia Hotel on Mission Bay.

In other Cup activity:

Team Dennis Conner started assembling its boat after the 75-foot hull’s arrival Tuesday by truck from Bristol, R.I. Conner hoped to be sailing it by the date of its christening April 7. It is expected to be the first American-built IACC boat sailing anywhere. America-3, in training since January, bought its first boat from the French syndicate and will not have its own until late April.

Because of civil strife in Yugoslavia, syndicate chief Bojan Butolen said that country’s entry will now represent the republics of Croatia and Slovenia but not Serbia. The sponsoring Galeb Yacht Club is in Croatia, which will be the name of the boat.

The Nippon, Il Moro (Italy) and Mercury Bay (New Zealand) syndicates have agreed to participate ceremoniously in the Southwestern Yacht Club’s Charity Boat Race for the San Diego Epilepsy Society April 6. All will parade their boats past Seaport Village.

Rumors that one of the Nippon boats hit bottom in Mission Bay 2 1/2 weeks ago apparently were unfounded. A boat was taken to a boatyard in San Diego Bay to have some work done, but only because the team’s crane was broken, not to repair any damage.