AMERICA’S CUP / DAILY REPORT : DEFENDER TRIALS : Stars & Stripes Falters in the End

America 3 dispensed with Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes for the fifth consecutive time in the third round of defender trials Friday off Point Loma.

The margin of victory was 5 minutes 33 seconds.

Conner hasn’t won twice in a row in the defender selection series, which began Jan. 14.

In Tuesday’s opening race of this round, Stars & Stripes again lost to Bill Koch’s America 3but was closer than in previous races. Stars & Stripes’ victory against Defiant Wednesday was encouraging.

But Conner’s team was disappointed when Stars & Stripes lost 4 minutes 26 seconds on the final leg of Friday’s race and crossed the finish line long after the crew of America 3had stopped the high fives.

“We all like to win. It would have been a fun race to win today,” Stars & Stripes tactician Tom Whidden said. “I think we got close, but they kept closing the door on us. But as far as the total picture, we need to do a good job in the semifinals and the finals.”