AMERICA’S CUP UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Status of Russian Boat Uncertain

The two rival Russian syndicates might be close to merging, as suggested by the America’s Cup Organizing Committee, but nobody seems to know exactly what is happening.

John Sawicki, who said he was the U.S. spokesman for Red Star ‘92, hasn’t returned phone calls this week, while U.S. liaison Chris Drake and legal counsel Jenik Radon were in Estonia, where Red Star’s boat was being built.

Sawicki and Drake said last week when the Port Security Committee gave clearance for the Russians to sail in San Diego Bay that the boat was scheduled to be flown to San Diego by Wednesday, when measuring was to start for all challengers.

On Wednesday ACOC chief Tom Ehman received a letter from Red Star syndicate president Oleg Larionov thanking the group for its efforts and inviting him to visit the team’s compound in San Diego.

The problem is that one team--Age of Russia--has a boat in San Diego, while the other--Red Star ‘92--has been recognized as the valid challenge by the ACOC and granted a security waiver to be based at Sawicki’s yard in San Diego Bay.

The letter did not mention when the Red Star boat was now expected to arrive.

Meanwhile, the Age of Russia crew continued work on its boat at the Knight & Carver Yacht Center on Mission Bay.

Chris Haver, Cup liaison for the yard, said he and Age of Russia representative Marina Kopel got a favorable response about a merger from Red Star’s Tinu Uranik.

Age of Russia thought it had an agreement to transfer Red Star ‘92’s boat name “White Nights” to the one in Mission Bay, and to appoint a tribunal of Sawicki, John Knight and Haver to resolve any disputes between the syndicates.

But later in the day syndicate president Valentin Stepanov refuted the response.

“Stepanov acted like there was no agreement or even a discussion,” Haver said.

“There was a glimmer of hope yesterday, but it’s gone today.”