From: wwalker@qualcomm.com (Bill Walker)
Newsgroups: rec.boats
Subject: America's Cup results for April 8, 1992
Date: 9 Apr 92 16:12:46 GMT
Article-I.D.: qualcomm.1992Apr9.161246.26909
Organization: Qualcomm, Inc

America's Cup results for Wednesday, April 8, 1992, from the San Diego 
Union-Tribune.

CHALLENGERS

Conditions:  Winds:  8 knots at start building steadily to 11 at the 
finish.  Direction:  westerly with oscillating shifts.  Seas:  relatively 
flat with 2-foot swell.

Nippon defeated Il Moro di Venezia by 1:53.  Since the Italians had 
clinched a berth in the Louis Vuitton Cup finals and the Japanese had been 
eliminated, this was a meaningless race.  Il Moro, using its carbon fiber 
main for the first time in the semifinals, forced Nippon to tack away just 
before the start, was across the line first by 13 seconds and led by 29 
seconds at the first mark.  But Nippon sailed off uncovered into fresher 
breezes and made an 84-second gain on the run to take the lead.  Chris 
Dickson's crew stretched the lead to 1:40 after the next beat and was 
never again threatened [one of the Kiwis commented that the Italians were 
too hung over from celebrating].

New Zealand defeated Ville de Paris by 3:30.  The French had to win this 
race to keep their chances of reaching the challenger finals alive.  
Instead, they never led and suffered the most one-sided loss of the 
semifinals.  The Rod Davis-skippered New Zealand simply powered away in 
the medium winds and flat seas it [she, damnit!  Have these people no 
sense of tradition?] likes.

Schedule:
April 9:  NZ vs. Il Moro, 12:25 PM.  Nippon vs. Ville de Paris, 12:40 PM.

Standings:
                Overall record
                |    New Zealand
                |    |    Il Moro di Venezia
                |    |    |    Ville de Paris
                |    |    |    |    Nippon
                |    |    |    |    |
x-New Zealand  6-2       1-1  2-1  3-0
x-Il Moro      5-3  1-1       2-1  2-1
y-Ville de P.  3-5  1-2  1-2       1-1
y-Nippon       2-6  0-3  1-2  1-1

x-Clinched berth in finals; y-Eliminated.


DEFENDERS

Conditions:  Wind:  7 knots at start building steadily to 10.  Direction:  
westerly with oscillating shifts.  Seas:  relatively flat with 2-foot 
swell.

America^3 defeated Stars & Stripes by 2:08.  Dennis Conner could have 
gained himself that elusive berth in the defense finals with a victory 
[Wednesday], but he could never get Stars & Stripes into the lead.  How 
important was this race?  Well, Bill Koch didn't sail against Conner for 
the first time in the lengthy trials process, citing his shortcomings in 
the day's lighter winds.  With Buddy Melges skippering the modified 
America^3 (a new keel was added since the boat last sailed on Sunday) and 
sharing the helf with Kimo Worthington, A^3 turned back Conner's every 
attempt to break through in a classic match race.  Dave Dellenbaugh put 
A^3 to weather and slightly ahead of S&S coming off the start and A^3 
immediately benefited from a right-handed shift.  The boats embarked on a 
long port drag race that favored A^3 by 3-4 boat lengths.  S&S initiated a 
tacking duel and gained before running out of room on the left lay line.  
A^3 rounded with a 34-second lead, but Conner halved the deficit on the 
first run.  On the second beat, Conner appeared to sail S&S into the lead 
halfway up the leg by playing the left side of the course.  But a late 
shift to the right enabled Melges to reclaim the lead.  The reaches 
offered no change.  The boats took turns gaining in the shifts on the third 
weather leg, but Conner didn't make the gains he had made on the earlier 
beat.  On the run to the finish, Conner gambled on a flyer to the right 
side of the course.  Melges played it down the middle and tacked 1:32 onto 
his lead.  Excellent crew work on both boats.

Schedule:
April 9:  America^3 vs. Kanza, 12:15 PM.
April 10: Stars & Stripes vs. Kanza, 12:30 PM.
April 11: Stars & Stripes vs. America^3, 12:15 PM.
April 12: America^3 vs. Kanza, 12:45 PM.

Standings:
              
                  Scored wins (includes bonus wins)
                  |    Kanza
                  |    |    Stars & Stripes
                  |    |    |    America^3
                  |    |    |    |
Kanza             5        2-1  1-1
Stars & Stripes   4   1-2       2-1
America^3.        2   1-1  1-2     

Kanza entered this round with two bonus wins based on points acquired by 
Defiant and America^3 in first three rounds.  Stars & Stripes received one 
bonus win for second-most points.  America^3 was placed in slot with zero 
wins.

----------
Bill Walker - WWalker@qualcomm.com - QUALCOMM, Inc., San Diego, CA
All opinions expressed are mine, and do not reflect those of my employer.
"First thing we do, we kill all the lawyers." - Shakespeare
Newsgroups: rec.boats