SAILING : Elias Confronts Accuser Today

Mike Elias is a sailor, not a figure skater, but Australia’s Neville Wittey might consider wearing knee pads today when the two meet to conclude the first round robin of the Congressional Cup at Long Beach.

Elias, who represents the host Long Beach Yacht Club, was still bitter after Thursday’s racing about having Wednesday’s victory over Steve Grillon taken away on a protest by Wittey, who was in a different race.

“In race-car circles, there’s a Richard Petty, and here there’s petty Wittey,” Elias said at the postrace news conference. “I’m going to race him in the morning and that’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Elias, like most locals, has been overmatched by the world-class competitors in five previous Congressionals. So it hurts to have any victory taken away, especially on a protest by someone in another match.