SAILING CONGRESSIONAL CUP : Three Boats to Compete for Title Today

On-water umpiring, which was supposed to eliminate tedious, late-night protests from match-race sailing, instead left the 28th Congressional Cup in confusion at the end of the nine round-robin races at Long Beach Wednesday.

Four competitors--Terry Hutchinson of Michigan, Robbie Haines of Newport Beach and America’s Cup campaigners Pedro Campos of Spain and Bertrand Pace of France--were tied with 7-2 records, but the event’s sailing instructions called for a three-boat sailoff for the championship today.

Hours later, the international jury for the event ruled out Haines. Among the top four, Campos and Pace were 2-1, while Haines and Hutchinson were 1-2, but Haines lost his match against Hutchinson.

Pace and Hutchinson will sail a sudden-death semifinal today for the right to meet Campos in the best-of-three finals.

The logjam was created in the last match when Campos’ stern struck the side of Hutchinson’s boat in the pre-start maneuvering, and a foul was called on Hutchinson for failing to keep clear.

The wind was so light that by the time Hutchinson executed his penalty turn after the gun, Campos had an insurmountable lead, which he extended to 2:43 at the finish.