AMERICA’S CUP : Conner’s Boat Nearly Sinks During Race

The relatively docile Pacific Ocean off the coast of Point Loma is threatening to become a Bermuda Triangle West for America’s Cup yachts.

Stars & Stripes, Team Dennis Conner’s only boat, had to be pumped and bailed Sunday afternoon to avert the second sinking of this year’s America’s Cup racing. OneAustralia sank in 500 feet of water during a race on the challengers’ course March 5.

“It certainly got my attention,” Conner said. “We were taking on a fair amount of water.”

Young America, Stars & Stripes’ opponent, completed the course to earn its seventh consecutive victory and clinch a position in the defender finals.

The future of Conner’s campaign is much more uncertain. Stars & Stripes is off today but scheduled to sail a critical Tuesday race against America 3’s Mighty Mary. The two have 1-3 records in the semifinals, but Conner’s crew has a one-point advantage because of a bonus carryover from the round-robin series.

The race for the second position in the challenger finals was tied after oneAustralia defeated TAG Heuer Challenge by 40 seconds Sunday.

The challenger series’ runaway leader, Team New Zealand, extended its record to 28-1 with a victory by 3:54 over Nippon, 0-6 in the semifinal series.

However, Sunday’s most compelling race was to get Stars & Stripes off the ocean and into her compound in San Diego Harbor.

Two-thirds of the way up the second windward run, trailing by approximately six lengths in a tacking duel, Stars & Stripes coasted to a stop and the race was abandoned.

Chase boats began loading pumps and air bags and unloading sails and equipment. Crewman began bailing with buckets until pumps could be loaded and started. Once the pumps were started, water gushed from a hose draped over the starboard side.

A buoy was hoisted to the top of the mast to prevent the yacht from going bottom-up should it capsize. Secured by a tow rope to the tender Betsy, Stars & Stripes made the arduous journey home.

Conner said Sunday evening that neither the cause nor the extent of the damage could be ascertained. The preliminary assessment was that the leak was around the keel.

Conner’s only other boat is the outmoded 1992 model.