Opener Does Italians World of Good

They weren’t perfect, they’ll tell you, but it was the next best thing to being there.

Chaos ruled the first day of the International America’s Cup Class World Championships on Saturday, but the Italians flexed their sailing muscles and acted as if they hardly noticed.

Clenched fists and big bear hugs were all part of the fanfare as Il Moro di Venezia III and Il Moro di Venezia I glided over the finish line without incident in a 1-2 finish off Point Loma.

“It was a great day for Il Moro di Venezia and all of our team,” said American Paul Cayard, who skippered the winning Italy-15. “It means a lot to all of us because we’ve spent 2 1/2 years working on our program and (Saturday) was the first day of real confrontation with all of our competitors.”

Most of the confrontations were man and machine versus the elements, with strong winds playing havoc on the fleet. Mother Nature reigned, although the Italians emerged unscathed amid reports of upwards to $1 million in damages.

Houston’s John Kolius, skipper of second-place Italy-1, said good judgment was a source of success in Italy’s opening effort.

“Frankly, the crew and shore crew won the race,” Kolius said. “Paul and I basically drove around the track. That’s all we did. We had two fine crews that made no serious mistakes.”

Said Cayard: “It wasn’t perfect, bliss, like everything went right. We had our fair share of minor mishaps . . . but relatively speaking, you could say we had a flawless day.”

Cayard’s crew caught Dennis Conner’s Star’s & Stripes on the third leg and never lost its lead. Kolius passed Conner on the fifth leg, then held off a charging New Zealand team on one of the zig-zag legs.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Kolius said, “but a day like (Saturday) sure gives you a lot of confidence.”

Knowing they can win despite the handicap of a slower boat is another shot in the arm for Kolius and crew. Italy-1 was one of the first of this class out of the shipyards.

“She’s got a lot of miles on her, but she won’t blow up,” he said. “It’s just that we have our pedal to the metal all the time. If we slow down, we get passed. Our attitude is different from the others. They have that extra speed, so they can be more conservative. We can’t afford to be conservative.”

Beside, that’s not his style. Asked if he ever thought to hold back a bit Saturday, knowing the other Il Moro entry boat was a distant first, Kolius’ answer was blunt. And he said Cayard wouldn’t have, either.

“No,” he said. “I think Paul and I both have substantial egos.”

The Italian crews’ longevity--they have been together since early 1989--might give them an edge of experience that nothing but practice can duplicate. Cayard said because they have been together so long, Il Moro might have a better idea of what their limits are.

“We probably know, closer than most people, what we’re capable of doing and what we’re not capable of doing,” Cayard said. “Some people have done a maneuver two or three times, we have done it hundreds. That’s an advantage that can keep you from getting in trouble.”

Although delighted with the early results, Cayard tried to put the day in perspective:

“You’re going to have some good days and you’re going to have some not so good days in the next year,” he said. “The trick is not to get too high on the highs and not to get too low on the lows . . . Just keep an even keel all the way through.”