SYNDICATES AT A GLANCE : AN AMERICA’S CUP PROGRESS REPORT

DEFENDERS

Team Dennis Conner

* Yacht club: San Diego

* Syndicate head: Dennis Conner

* Skipper: Dennis Conner

* Budget: $20 million

* Boats: One (“Stars & Stripes”).

* Designers: Bruce Nelson, David Pedrick, Alberto Calderon, Chris Todter (coordinator).

* IACC Worlds: Placed third; withdrew from semifinals.

* Comment: Conner has announced there will be no second boat--period. None of the other syndicates believes him, noting that he could start construction as late as mid-December and have it in time for the defense finals.

America-3

* Yacht club: San Diego

* Syndicate head: Bill Koch

* Skipper-helmsmen: Bill Koch, Buddy Melges.

* Budget: $40 million

* Boats: Two (“Jayhawk,” “Defiant”); third under construction, due in January.

* Designers: Doug Peterson, Jim Reichel, Jim Pugh, Heiner Meldner.

* IACC Worlds: Placed sixth and tied for seventh (two boats).

* Comment: With defections of John Kostecki, Gary Jobson and Cam Lewis, trying hard to upgrade match-racing skills. Had recent 10-day clinic with Irish expert Harold Cudmore, using two IACC boats and on-the-water umpires to simulate competition.

CHALLENGERS

Spirit of Australia

* Yacht club: Darling Harbour

* Syndicate head: Iain Murray

* Skipper: Peter Gilmour

* Boats: One (“Spirit of Australia”). En route to San Diego by ship, due this week.

* Designer: Iain Murray

* Budget: $12 million.

* Comment: Rated best of one-boat challenges, but figures to have spirited rivalry with other Australian syndicate. Will be on Mission Bay. Boat is said to be narrow-hulled with extended bulb keel supported after by V-struts.

Australian Challenge

* Yacht club: Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron

* Syndicate head: Syd Fischer

* Skipper: Unannounced. John Bertrand (Australia II, ‘83), Gordon Lucas, Phil Thompson being considered.

* Boats: One (“Challenge Australia”). En route to San Diego on same ship with New Zealand’s fourth boat, due this week.

* Designer: Peter van Oossanen

* Budget: $10 million.

* Comment: Colin Beashal (Australia IV, ‘86-87) was candidate to steer, but he’s gone, along with Hugh Treharne (Australia II, ‘83) as navigator-tactician. Fischer’s compound is next to America 3, which has similar uncertainty in afterguard. Also said to have unconventional keel.

Ass’n Pour L’America’s Cup en France

* Yacht club: Yacht Club de France-Sete

* Syndicate head: Francois Giraudet (general manager)

* Skipper: Marc Pajot.

* Boats: Three (F-1, “Ville de Paris I and II”).

* Designers: Phillippe Briand, Gilles Ollier.

* Budget: $30 million.

* IACC Worlds: Tied for seventh.

* Comment: Indications are French boats are fast, making them solid darkhorses behind New Zealand and Il Moro di Venezia.

Il Moro di Venezia (Italy)

* Yacht club: Compagnia Della Vela

* Syndicate head: Raul Gardini

* Skipper: Paul Cayard

* Boats: Four; will have five (all “Il Moro di Venezia”).

* Designer: German Frers.

* Budget: Claiming only $40 million; nobody believes it.

* IACC Worlds: Placed second and fourth in fleet racing, first and third in sailoffs.

* Comment: Cayard and crew won world 50-Footer title but disappointing in recent match-racing competition. Question of whether this team has built on victory in Worlds. May hold back final campaign boats to save its secrets.

Nippon Challenge (Japan)

* Yacht club: Nippon Ocean Racing

* Syndicate head: Tatsumitsu Yamasaki

* Skipper: Chris Dickson.

* Boats: Two (“Nippon”); third due late December.

* Designers: Kennosuke Hayashi, Akira Kubota, Ichiro Yokoyama.

* Budget: $40 million

* IACC Worlds: Placed fifth in fleet racing; fourth in semifinals after Conner withdrew.

* Comment: Syndicate got major boost from Dickson winning third world match-racing title in four years. Other New Zealanders are in key roles, leaving doubt as to where “Captain” Makoto Namba will fit in.

Mercury Bay Boating Club (New Zealand)

* Yacht Club: Mercury Bay

* Syndicate head: Sir Michael Fay

* Skippers: TBA from candidates David Barnes, Rod Davis, Russell Coutts.

* Boats: Three (all “New Zealand”); fourth due this week.

* Designers: Bruce Farr, Russell Bowler.

* Budget: $35 million.

* IACC Worlds: First in fleet racing, second in sailoffs.

* Comment: Have maintained low profile since Worlds. Decisions due soon on arrangement of three top helmsmen in afterguard. Hired Wales’ Eddie Warden-Owen, world’s fifth-ranked match racer, as coach.

Age of Russia

* Yacht club: Ocean Racing Club of St. Petersburg

* Syndicate head: Vladimir Koulbida.

* Skipper: Unknown.

* Boats: One (“Age of Russia”).

* Designer: Oleg Larionov.

* Budget: $10 million.

* Comment: Boat confirmed complete by IACC measurer John Warren. Scheduled to be flown to San Diego between Nov. 23 and 26. Seem to be carrying on despite surprise resignations of skipper Guram Biganishvili, marketing director Sergei Savchenko and American representative Doug Smith and dispute with breakaway Red Star ’92 syndicate.

Red Star’92

* Yacht Club(s): Ocean Racing Club of St. Petersburg and Crazy Offshore Racing Club of Tallinn, Estonia.

* Syndicate Head: Valentin Stepanov

* Skipper: Sergei Borodinov

* Boat: One (claim it will be in San Diego Dec. 21).

* Designer: Oleg Larionov.

* Budget: Unknown.

* Comment: Recently emerged claiming it is only valid Russian (not Estonian) challenge. Have letter from State Sports Committee of Russian Federation designating them as “only official representative of Russia.” America’s Cup Organizing Committee must sort out which Russian entry is legitimate.

Desafio Espana Copa America

* Yacht club: Monte Real Club de Yates de Bayona

* Syndicate head: Carlos Fernandez de Henestrosa

* Skippers: Pedro Campos, Antonio Gorostegui Ceballos (alt.).

* Boats: Two (both “Espana”)

* Designer: Diego Colon de Carbajal (technical director).

* Budget: $30 million.

* IACC Worlds: Placed last in boat borrowed from New Zealand.

Comment: Well-funded but short on match-racing talent. Campos has been taking his lumps during crash course on world circuit this year.

New Sweden

* Yacht club: Stenungsbaden

* Syndicate head: Tomas Wallin.

* Skipper: Gunnar Krantz.

* Boats: One (“Absolut Sweden”).

* Designers: Peter Norlin, Sven Olaf Ridder, Lars Bergstrom, Hakan Sodergren (Britain’s David Hollom consultant).

* Budget: $15 million.

* Comment: Boat launched but financial problems getting it to San Diego. Primary sponsor Saab not obligated to fulfill $3 million commitment until others pay up.

YACOMA d.d. (Croatia)

* Yacht club: None.

* Syndicate head: Bojan Butolen

* Skipper: Dusan Puh.

* Boat: One (wood).

* Designer: Stanislav Nano Kovacevic.

* Budget: $10 million.

* Comment: Boat in Venice, Italy, safe from Yugoslavian civil war, and Italian boatyard owner Marco Cantoni believed to be financing shipment to San Diego. He says it will arrive by Jan. 15--10 days before the challenger trials.