French Win in Practice Race

Mark Pajot and the French sailed impressively Saturday, but the question of whether New Zealand’s radical fourth boat is faster than Il Moro di Venezia’s fifth boat may have to wait until the Louis Vuitton Cup starts Jan. 25.

Like ships that pass in the night, the two powerhouses failed to meet again during the fifth informal race among America’s Cup challengers off Point Loma Saturday.

The Italians had generally been ignoring the series, but Paul Cayard slipped Il Moro No. 5 into the race about a minute and a half after the start.

However, both of New Zealand’s boats were at home in Coronado for the day. Although starting prematurely in one race, the new No. 4 had finished first in three of the previous races, No. 3 in the other.

At the finish, Ville de Paris was 3 minutes 5 seconds ahead of the modified Spirit of Australia, whose stern was shortened a foot after being rammed by France’s older boat two days earlier.

After his late start, Cayard worked the newest Il Moro up to third place before shredding the team’s fourth old spinnaker in a week, allowing Espana to pass.

Syd Fischer’s Challenge Australia placed fifth, amid reports of dissension on board, while France’s older boat was sixth and Nippon Challenge dropped out while running last on the next-to-last leg.

The series concludes today. New Zealand did not plan to sail, a syndicate spokesperson said.