AMERICA’S CUP / DAILY REPORT : DEFENDER TRIALS : Criticism Spurs Nippon to Victory

This “friendly competition between foreign countries” is still searching in vain for George L. Schuyler’s ideal, stated when he deeded the America’s Cup to the New York Yacht Club in 1887.

Will the competition always be so acrimonious?

“I hope so,” Nippon skipper Chris Dickson said after beating New Zealand on Saturday. “It worked wonders today.”

Dickson restrained himself when New Zealand team manager Peter Blake called him “a mercenary working for the Japanese because they can’t do it themselves,” but he used the criticism as incentive in outsailing the Kiwis by 1 minute 2 seconds to clinch first place in the round-robin phase of the challenger trials and lead the way into the semifinals.

There was no less satisfaction for Dennis Conner, who sailed Stars & Stripes to a 38-second victory over America 3’s Defiant in northwest winds building from 5 to 14 knots.

It was the first time Stars & Stripes had won two consecutive races, and the victory completed an adventurous two-month run during which its mast fell, it collided with a rival boat, rear-ended a spectator boat and threw away three races while trying to use a goal post for a keel.

But the boat is very much alive, with further modifications--including a new keel--planned before the next round.

The result was worth four third-round points and assured Stars & Stripes, 8-12 overall, of second place with 19 points, behind Bill Koch’s America 3 (17-2) , which has 40, but ahead of Koch’s Defiant (10-9), with 12.

After the arrival of Koch’s fourth boat Friday, Defiant is due to be retired after today’s intramural match with America 3 to conclude the round.