AMERICA’S CUP UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : As Koch Ponders His Lineup, Conner Laments Thin ‘Bench’

To listen to Bill Koch, he agonizes like a baseball manager over his lineup every day.

Dennis Conner has no such problem. One boat, one crew. Substitutes could be his only problem.

Scotty Vogel, the only bowman Conner has had through four Cups, injured his right knee near the end of the third round, had arthroscopic surgery and returned for the semifinal round a few days later--although foredeck crewman Greg Prussia, not Vogel, is now called upon to go up the mast when necessary.

Conner said Friday that grinder Rives Potts was hospitalized overnight Thursday because of food poisoning.

“If he’s not feeling well tomorrow, we have somebody that can take his place,” Conner said. “But we don’t have a lot of depth. Scotty has been playing injured. (Mainsail trimmer) Vince (Brun) hurt his back.

“We’re a little banged up, but these guys have come a long ways together and they’ll rise to the occasion. If we did have something that was really serious, we have some talent here in San Diego that’s been out on the boat . . . (designer) Bruce Nelson and a nice bunch of American sailors that could help us.”

Koch has complained since Daylight Savings Time started a couple of weeks ago that the races are being started too early, before the wind settles in.

Conner said, “It seems just fine to me . . . especially if Bill is complaining about it.”

Conner and Koch are picking New Zealand to defeat Il Moro di Venezia in the best-of-nine Louis Vuitton Cup challenger finals starting Sunday.

Koch said, “The Italians have a brilliant skipper in Paul Cayard, but they sometimes don’t sail as consistently as they should.”

Conner: “As a unit, the Kiwis are very strong. If it came down to who was gonna win a race in a Star boat, Paul Cayard would beat (Rod) Davis. But it’s a team.

“I have the visceral feeling that the Kiwi boat is the fastest boat, and if they can get out of the boat what’s there, Paul is gonna be in a lot of trouble. But Paul is very tough, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he rises to the occasion and gives the Kiwis everything they can handle.”

Before Friday morning’s press conference for the defenders, who will start their finals today, Stars & Stripes tactician Tom Whidden switched the place cards on the dais to put America 3’s Bill Koch between him and Dennis Conner.

Apparently, Whidden figured it was about time that Stars & Stripes put a 2-on-1 squeeze on Koch.