Kiwis Mum on Who Will Steer Race Today : Challengers: Skipper switch leaves New Zealand syndicate open to second-guessing.

In New Zealand’s version of “Who’s in charge?” a Kiwi nation sits in wait. Who will be at the helm of their slowly sinking America’s Cup dreams today?

The answer comes this morning.

In a move that sent shock waves through the yachting community, New Zealand syndicate manager Peter Blake, staring at a 3-3 series, went to the bullpen for Wednesday’s challengers’ final race against Il Moro di Venezia.

Skipper Rod Davis and tactician David Barnes have teamed together in all but four races since these trials began in January. They were given the boot in favor of relief skipper Russell Coutts and tactician Brad Butterworth, well-credentialed sailors indeed, but whose action in this Louis Vuitton Cup was limited to a race in Round 1 and two in Round 3--none were of much consequence--before they got the call late Tuesday.

Coutts had to send a stand-in to a fund-raising dinner in Oakland, so he could make Wednesday’s race per Blake’s order to sail.

“It wasn’t an offer, it was a request,” Blake said, who explained that the major reason for the change was to try and trip up Il Moro skipper Paul Cayard.

“We decided it would be good to try some different starting tactics with someone who Paul hadn’t had to try against recently,” he said. “We tried to keep it quiet, so he could face those tactics as well. To a point, it went right well.”

Had Coutts driven New Zealand to a victory, the decision of who would be helmsman today might be easier. But given his 20-second loss in wake of more than one questionable sail selection and tactic maneuver, Blake and his braintrust, which includes syndicate head Sir Michael Fay, are faced with another all-night skull session.

Blake said that among the suggestions would be Coutts starting as helmsman and Davis taking over.

“We’ve considered all the scenarios and we’re doing what we think is best to come up with one (today) . . . and we’re not going to tell you,” he said.

The decision to switch personnel was either gutsy or crazy, depending on which side of the fence you’re sitting.

But the change didn’t seem to affect the Italians too much. Strategist Tommoso Chieffi said it was business as usual on board Il Moro.

“We saw before the pre-start maneuvering, we realized that Russell was on board. Of course, it was a little bit of a surprise, but we were not particurarly excited about it,” he said.

Cayard, who has beaten his opponent three consecutive days after facing a 3-1 deficit--Saturday’s New Zealand victory gave the Kiwis a 4-1 lead that was later anulled--said it was a hasty step.

“Some of the moves I’ve seen them make are a little more desperation,” Cayard said.

Concerning today’s afterguard selections, Cayard deferred the question back to the Kiwis: “I have no idea. That’s not my problem.”

Predictably, the Kiwis were defensive about the juggling act. Davis, a Coronado native and the only non-Kiwi crew member, was in a three-way battle with Coutts and Barnes for the starting job and wasn’t awarded it until early December. He backed the decision.

“It’s not the Rod Davis show, it’s not the Russell Coutts show or the (designer) Bruce Farr show,” he told a New Zealand TV station. “We have enough depth of talent that we can go a lot of different dimensions that no other team can do. To leave that depth in the back room just to keep the same continuity all the way through doesn’t make sense. We’ve got to use the depth if it’s going to be any value to us, and this is how we use it.”

Fay likened the choice to the national rugby team shifting its game plan.

“We have some of the best helmsman in the world, but I think (Blake) decided that we have to look, I supppse, a bit like the All Blacks, to change our phase of play, to see if we could just find another gear.”

Even the defenders, who have their own hotly contested series in process, had an opinion. Dennis Conner said he’d probably get in trouble if he voiced his views, then proceeded to describe a class struggle between two New Zealand camps.

“I think what happened is Bruce Farr got out here and didn’t like the way things were going, and he has the ear of Michael Fay,” Conner said. “The gentleman Fay has put in charge is also a colleague of Bruce Farr’s and obviously Peter Blake has won a lot of races. He’s Bruce Farr’s ally.

“I’m guessing that together they put some pressure on the owner to make a change. I’m guessing that Bruce Farr and Peter didn’t like what they were seeing, that for whatever reason, Paul Cayard had a hex on Rod Davis, so they decided to make a change. That’s the best scenario I can come up with.”

To which Blake replied: “I don’t really care what Dennis thinks.”