AMERICA’S CUP UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Some Signs Are Pointing to Stars & Stripes Victory

Good omens for Stars & Stripes in the sailoff with Kanza today?

While America 3’s two boats were racing each other off Point Loma Sunday, Dennis Conner was finishing first and second among 13 boats in two Etchells races off Coronado.

That gave Conner, the world Etchells champion, an overall eighth for the San Diego Yacht Club’s five-race April One-Design Series. He missed the first three races, being otherwise occupied.

The series was won by Bill Munster, a member of Conner’s world championship crew. Munster’s crew included Stars & Stripes executive director Jerry La Dow. They were fourth and first Sunday after winning the first two races.

Meanwhile, at Long Beach, Jim Vasser of Discovery Bay, Calif., drove the Kodalux-Stars & Stripes ’91 Lola Chevy to seventh place--its best finish in three races--in the Toyota Grand Prix. A few of the Stars & Stripes crew attended the race.

“It feels real good to finish a race,” said Vasser, who hadn’t gone the distance at Australia or Phoenix.

What does the Cup mean to New Zealand?

The magazine New Zealand Yachting notes that “the All Blacks fell to the Wallabies in the Rugby World Cup . . . (and) the cricketeers . . . shone through to the semis only to suffer the heartbreak of unlikely defeat by Pakistan. All eyes are on the New Zealand yachtsmen to break the semifinal bogey and proceed on to America’s Cup glory.”

New Zealand sailors separated by the Cup will be reunited for the Olympics.

Sailmaker Tom Schnackenberg--Rod Davis’ brother-in-law--worked for Spirit of Australia but will return as coach and technical adviser. John Cutler, Chris Dickson’s tactician aboard Nippon, will be the Finn class coach. Davis, who holds dual U.S. and New Zealand citizenship, will sail a Soling for New Zealand at Barcelona.

The Kiwis’ Soling and Star class coach will be Vince Brun, who has been mainsail trimmer on Stars & Stripes.