New Zealand KZ7 Defeats Conner, Trims Lead to 2-1

FREMANTLE, Australia —  The New Zealand 12-meter KZ7 came from behind when Stars & Stripes’ spinnaker fell down today and won by 37 seconds to cut Dennis Conner’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven America’s Cup challenge final.

The Kiwis left Stars & Stripes six seconds behind at the start when a quick tack by skipper Chris Dickson caught the Americans in his wind shadow.

But Conner, clawing for clear air, finally forced Dickson to tack away from his backwind. They met four times on opposite tacks before Conner could cross Dickson on port and powered off to lead by 21 seconds at the first mark.

Stars & Stripes seemed in command at that point, but a few seconds later its spinnaker halyard gave way and the chute--one borrowed from the eliminated America II syndicate--collapsed into the water. As Conner looked over his shoulder, the crew rehoisted the sail within two minutes, but by then KZ7 was on top of him.

Dickson moved across Conner’s wind to grab inside position at the leeward mark, where he rounded six seconds in front, with a protest flag flying.

As the wind built from 16 to 21 knots, Conner threw an exhausting flurry of tacks at the Kiwis on the windward legs but was unable to overcome the setback.

In the defender final, Kookaburra III sailed away from Australia IV to take a 2-0 lead in that best-of-nine series.

In a unusual race for Australian defender candidates, Peter Gilmour’s Kookaburra III defeated Colin Beashel’s Australia IV by 46 seconds Friday in a contest without collisions or protest flags.

Both boats had been disqualified for pre-start fouls in the opening match of their best-of-nine America’s Cup defender final Wednesday, but Beashel, on instructions from syndicate boss Alan Bond, kept his distance before the start Thursday, merely leading Gilmour through some lazy maneuvers in the 10-minute sequence before the gun.

Afterward, Iain Murray took over the helm from start specialist Gilmour and powered Kookaburra III through the chop and winds of 15 to 25 knots to a dominating victory.

It was the first time in the last six races between the two boats that no protests had been filed.

“The number of man-hours we wasted just sailing around the course (Wednesday) is incredible,” Gilmour said. “We want to have a result on the water.”

Kookaburra III’s only anxious moment Thursday occurred five minutes from the finish when a mechanical problem caused the mainsail to droop and flap the rest of the way home. Even so, Australia IV didn’t seem to close any distance.

As in Wednesday’s nonrace, Kookaburra III demonstrated superiority upwind, gaining 1:55 on the four weather legs, leaving observers to wonder why the Kooka camp so loves to mix it up when it can win on boat speed.

Gilmour, 26, showed when he was steering Kookaburra II in the previous series that he was far more aggressive than Murray.

Flanked by Kookaburra chief Kevin Parry, with Bond also present, Gilmour said: “We certainly don’t go into the start trying to create a foul. We try to gain an advantage at the gun. I don’t know about being more aggressive, but I don’t like to lose a start.

“Certainly, the reason for mixing it up is the whole reason why Kevin and Alan got together over the last weekend. We are really trying to produce the very best for Australia, the toughest competitor to go forward to meet the challenger.

“It might be difficult to understand from our perspective, but that’s how we go about it. We think there is a lot of merit in trying very hard at the start and right around the whole race course.”

Bond, who thought he’d reached a truce with the Kookas, didn’t buy that.

“I think the comments made by Iain (Murray) the other day that there’d be blood on the water (and) that there’d be collisions was the wrong attitude in which to leave the discussion the (Royal Perth) yacht club and Kevin and I had,” Bond said.

“I don’t think that’s what this series is all about. We took the view that we wanted to race the boat and have the race decided on the water, and instructions were given accordingly.

“I had hoped that would prevail through the rest of the series because I think the jury and half the public are fed up with collisions. With the skill that these helmsmen have, they should be able to avoid collisions.

“That indicates to me that there is an element of aggression that is not necessary to produce the best defender. If we can look at this race today and see what a very good sporting race it was, how clean cut it was, we’re gonna get there quicker. We don’t have time for races that are not races.”

Parry, more of a bulldog, responded: “I agree in principle, (but) I don’t think we’re gonna achieve the best defender by being Goody Two-Shoes out there.

“We want to get into a good match race and not have to worry about what happened before the start, but that will not alter what’s going to happen before the start.