AMERICA’S CUP / DAILY REPORT : DEFENDER TRIALS : For Jayhawk, It’s About Time for the Scrapheap

Jayhawk, the first of America 3’s fleet of International America’s Cup class yachts, is near retirement as the first round of the defender selection series draws to a close.

In the eighth and next-to-last race Thursday, Stars & Stripes sailed to a 6-minute 8-second victory over Bill Koch’s Jayhawk in 8-12 knot winds off Point Loma.

It was the largest margin of victory in the trials, shattering the 4:10 that the Dennis Conner-skippered Stars & Stripes sailed over Jayhawk on Jan. 15.

Jayhawk is 0-5. For Conner (3-3), the victory Thursday was a shot in the arm after Wednesday’s setback against Defiant, America 3’s traditionally built yet speedy second boat, which is 5-0.

“On one hand (Jayhawk is) the boat that hasn’t won yet, but on the other hand, it was a big Delta time victory,” said Tom Whidden, Stars & Stripes tactician.

Jayhawk and younger sister Defiant conclude Round 1 Friday, and then Jayhawk will be retired. In its place will be Koch’s yet-to-be-named third boat, still in the shed at Eric Goetz’s shipyard in Bristol, R.I.

Delivery on sloop No. 4 is expected later.

“The (third) boat will be ready for Round 2,” said America 3’s vice president Rick Wrightson, who added that spirits were status quo despite the defeat.

“It was to be expected,” Wrightson said. “We’ve been happy with our results, and like Bill says, Dennis is always tough. It’s a matter of boat speed, and this is our slowest boat.”

That’s not a comforting thought to Conner, who has yet to find a way to defeat Defiant, a yacht that may be obsolete by the fourth round.

Never mind, Whidden said. It’s still too early for predictions, and a lot can happen during the two-week lay period.

“He who uses the time between the series the best will reap the most rewards,” said Whidden, who included sail inventory and crew tuneups in this time of reflection and work.

“Obviously, we would have liked to beat Defiant to prove we could, but it was a good race (Wednesday) and they weren’t the other two times. We felt we improved.”

More important, Whidden said, the strides Stars & Stripes made late in the week counted more because “we have farther to come.”