AMERICA’S CUP UPDATE / NOTEBOOK : Jury Unification, Cost Reduction Written in Future Cup Plans

The San Diego Yacht Club and Compagnia Della Vela--one of which will claim the America’s Cup by next week--have drawn up separate protocols for conducting defenses in 1995 and beyond.

Commodore Fred Delaney of SDYC announced his 2 1/2-page paper Thursday, with Commodores W.H. Dyer Jones of the New York Yacht Club and Phillip J. Mostyn of the Royal Perth Yacht Club concurring by their signatures, as representatives of the previous two trustee clubs.

The Italian club said it would not reveal its protocol unless Il Moro di Venezia wins the Cup.

However, it was learned that the key points of both, reflecting on problems in this Cup, call for a unification of jury decisions, or at the least an “umbrella” panel, to avert disputes such as the one concerning the New Zealand bowsprit, and a committee to recommend ways to reduce costs.

However, the protocols differ on three other points:

- Three Wise Men--San Diego wants to retain a three-man Trustees’ Committee to resolve disputes, while the Italians want five on the panel;

- Money Up Front--San Diego wants a $75,000 non-refundable entry fee, while CDV wants it to be $250,000 to discourage phony entrepreneurs;

- Hired Guns--If San Diego also keeps the Cup for ‘98, it would seek tighter restrictions on sailors sailing on boats from countries other than their own.

Delaney said, “We’d like to tighten it where you don’t see the situation where (a sailor) wins for the United States, then goes on to the next match and wins for Thailand and then goes on and wins for a third country. It becomes a helmsman’s or skipper’s trophy rather than a yacht club or country challenging trophy.”

Delaney said he would prefer “something paralleling the Olympics, or at least a longer residency period so you couldn’t jump from one country to another in subsequent matches.”

Sailors are now required to live in the country two years to be eligible to sail on the boat. Most prominent in this Cup were two skippers: American Paul Cayard of Il Moro and New Zealander Chris Dickson of Nippon.

“Paul could have had an opportunity to sail for the United States, if he’d wanted to,” Delaney said. “Chris certainly, I assume, could have sailed for New Zealand.”

When reporters expressed surprise at Delaney’s remark about Dickson, he added, “Maybe not? OK. That was his problem.”

Jones said, “There are a number of challengers who feel the same way.”

Two might be New Zealand and France, but Il Moro and Nippon clearly would feel otherwise.

Delaney also said he would like to have all the syndicates in one location next time, with less secrecy, to make the event more attractive to the public.

“It would be tremendous if we could find some area where 8, 10, 12 syndicates could all be together,” Delaney said. “I don’t know that that could happen within the time frame you would have to get permits and build facilities.”

Delaney sidestepped a question of whether the beleaguered America’s Cup Organizing Committee would be retained as the yacht club’s agency to run the Cup.

“Well, first we have to win the Cup,” he said. “I really don’t have an answer to that question. What we’d like to do is capitalize on the positives and reduce the negatives the next time around. “They did exactly what they were contracted to do--that is, run the regatta and run the event.”

Bill Koch’s recent faux pas in referring to Cayard as “the world’s second-best sailor (to Dennis Conner),” while his own Buddy Melges sat alongside, won’t easily be laid to rest.

Melges was asked Thursday night how it felt to be leading the world’s second-best sailor, 3-1.

“It’s a big thrill,” Melges said, pausing for effect, “considering we already beat the first best.”

Late in Thursday’s race Melges looked around to see where Il Moro di Venezia was and was immediately chided by Koch.

“Buddy likes to look around and see where his opposition is,” Koch said, “but Buddy has taught me that anytime you look around--unless you’ve got the skills of a Paul or a Dennis--you tend to lose your concentration.”

Melges told Koch to relax.

“Don’t give me any . . . about relaxing,” Koch said.

New Zealand syndicate spokesman Alan Sefton took exception to remarks by official measurer Ken McAlpine that the Kiwis’ case about possibly illegal hull finishes on some boats was “sour grapes.”

Sefton said, “We don’t feel they’re doing anything illegal. (But) we were dumbfounded to find out their only check was to throw a bucket of water on it.”

New Zealand wanted the measurers to take samples for laboratory analysis because some exotic finishes could mean gains of as much as two minutes around the course.

“You measure sails, you weigh crew when they come ashore,” Sefton said. “We just want everybody to be doing their job.”

The New Zealand Parliament held a reception for Sir Michael Fay, skipper Rod Davis, team manager Peter Blake, tactician David Barnes and other members of the team that have gone home so far.

Prime Minister John Bolger was kind enough not to mention the bowsprit.