America 3 Puts Heat on Conner : America’s Cup: Stars & Stripes faces prospect of showdown Monday.

You can get astronomical odds against the gastronomical certainty that America 3, the boat, will beat America 3 syndicate stablemate Kanza today, setting up a prospect that has America’s Cup stomachs tied up in knots.

After A3’s 44-second victory over Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes Saturday, all Bill Koch has to do to monopolize the defender finals is to beat Conner in a sailoff Monday against Kanza.

That would prematurely eliminate America’s Sailor from the competition he brought to his hometown, and it wouldn’t do a lot for ESPN’s ratings in a purposeless, best-of-13, Koch vs. Koch finals, either.

First, of course, A3 must beat Kanza in the last race of the fourth round today to gain a three-way tie at five wins each.

Koch offered this bold forecast: “The best boat will win.”

From the start of the trials in January, the question of Koch manipulating the scoring has hung over this Cup like a cloud. Koch & Co. consistently have denied doing so, but ethics are running head-on into practical purposes right now.

Koch was not aboard Kanza when it lost to Stars & Stripes Friday in the race that ensured at least a sailoff for Conner. Koch was on A3 Saturday, but stayed well out of the way and kept his hands off the wheels, as far as anyone could tell.

Dave Dellenbaugh steered for the start, and Buddy Melges took it from there, working A3 into an early lead on a right-hand wind shift.

The northwesterly wind was about 9 knots and building at the start--conditions supposedly in Stars & Stripes’ favor, since A3 had been hyped as a light-wind boat. But as the grinders ground, the sail trimmers trimmed and the lead changed four times, Conner’s on-board microphone revealed the strain of facing overwhelming odds.

“We’re ahead,” he said cautiously, after nine tacks got him to the favored right side late on the first, upwind leg.

First Melges was unable to cross him on port tack, without the right of way, and when Melges tried to duck behind him, Conner tacked on top of A3, securing a 19-second lead at the mark.

Early on the downwind leg, the first time Conner jibed to cover A3, a tear developed in the foot of his spinnaker. Conner jibed again to set up a sail change, as he coached the crew.

Let’s get up to speed first ... take your time ... be cool.

The change was made smoothly, but A3 was catching up, anyway. When they crossed on opposite jibes, A3 was a boat length ahead, as Conner worried about his sail trim.

Why won’t it fill here, guys? What is going on? I can’t understand why you can’t ...

But a few minutes later, with a nice downwind move, he had nudged Stars & Stripes back into the lead.

We’re jibing, guys ... nice jibe.”

So Stars & Stripes led again at the second mark by 0:17, but as the wind built to 12 knots observers were surprised to see A3 gaining. Twice Conner held off Melges with starboard right of way, but the third time Melges was able to cross on port, much to Conner’s frustration.

That jib, it must be the jib, Billy (Trenkle). ... How could he just kill us like that?

A3 led by 0:17 at the second windward mark, and things didn’t get any better for Stars & Stripes on the three reaching legs. On the second reach, the halyard that pulls the gennaker to the top of the mast was sagging, giving it poor shape, but with the pressure on the sail the crew couldn’t tighten the halyard for fear of snapping it.

He’s just sailing off over the horizon, guys. Isn’t there anything we can do? If we don’t pick that halyard up, the race is gonna be over.

Stars & Stripes was still within 20 seconds at the leeward mark, but the wind was up to 15 knots and A3 was still pulling away.

Check for kelp. We ought to do it every (few) seconds.

These were conditions that should tilt the race toward Stars & Stripes, at least against A3.

They’re not any slower than we are, I’ll tell you that.

As A3 stretched its lead and Stars & Stripes’ hopes dimmed, Conner grumbled about spectator boats crossing the course and churning up the water.

Nice of ‘em ... I can’t believe how rude they are. They’re gonna control our tactics here.

As they approached the windward mark for the third and last time . . .

Don’t know what we could do any better. ... We’ll have to do it on Monday, right?

Rounding the mark, A3 dragged its spinnaker pole in the water for several seconds before getting it under control--the only glitch the crew had all day, and it didn’t make any difference.

Nice job, guys. We still need only one more win. Nothing’s changed.

The drama was less apparent on A3 because Koch prefers that his afterguard not be wired for sound, lest secrets slip out.

But Melges said afterward, “It was very, very exciting for us. I think there were five lead changes (four, actually). I don’t know if that’s happened in these boats--maybe not in an America’s Cup race. . . . I hope Bill enjoyed it looking over my shoulder.”

A3 was able to go in front to stay, Melges said, when “we got a little message (puff of wind) on the left side and were able to cross him.”

The dunked pole was a minor inconvenience.

“I guess the tuna run is over, but we were trying to catch one, anyway,” Melges said.

The plan for today?

“We obviously want America 3 to win,” Koch said, “so I’ll be putting our best helmsman on it, our best trimmers and stuff. . . .”

On the brink of elimination, Conner was asked about his strategy for Monday and his long-term strategy to overcome America 3’s overall advantage.

“Right now, Monday sounds like the long-term strategy to me,” Conner said.