AMERICA’S CUP DAILY REPORT : Conner Gets Closer, but Koch Wins It

Dennis Conner threw Russian vodka, Japanese watches, American batteries and underwater wings at America 3Tuesday but was still a minute short and deep in trouble.

Conner’s new keel and collection of sponsored sails did not deter Bill Koch’s relentless drive through the America’s Cup defender trials as USA 23 (12-1) opened the third round winning by 1 minute 11 seconds.

That was a lot better than Conner had done against Koch’s third boat in the second round last month, when the closest he could come was 4:33. But a loss is a loss, and Conner someday soon must find a way around America 3, to have any hope of defending the Cup in May.

Tuesday, in brisk southeast winds of 12 to 14 knots, he adorned Stars & Stripes (5-8) with several new sails from his limited inventory, including his answer to the carbon-fiber and liquid crystal sails recently touted by America 3and Italy’s Il Moro di Venezia. On two legs Conner flew a gennaker advertising a Russian vodka.

Conner made his largest gain--45 seconds--on the second reach using a gennaker with a picture of a wristwatch. Trailing by 1:02 starting the leg, he hacked America 3’s lead to 17 seconds until Koch and Buddy Melges, dealing with a broken winch, recovered with no further threats.

Conner’s largest problem was a slight inferiority in upwind speed, despite the addition of a new winged keel for this round.

The keel configuration, blurry but visible in overhead camera views, appeared similar to what America 3’s older Defiant had in the previous round: a raked fin with a lead bulb on the bottom and delta wings mounted aft.

Conner outmaneuvered Melges at the start to claim the left side of the course, sailing right over America 3and forcing Melges to duck behind and go right.

It was a short-lived advantage. America 3was able to point a notch higher into the wind and gradually took control. Koch steered on the second upwind leg, on all three reaches and on the final, downwind leg.

“His upwind performance is getting better and better,” Melges said. “We’re quite thrilled.”

Conner was less thrilled.

“We have a little ways to go, but we have a little time, too,” he said.