Barth said the Mexico City-based Cocchia represents nearly every soccer player in Central and South America, and that Jugos de Valle and Herdez are major sponsors of soccer. They found the Whitbread interesting because it stops in France and England next May, and soccer's World Cup will be played in France the following month. The Whitbread office was also happy to learn that America's Challenge is in transit. Still, a fleet of 10 is more appealing than a fleet of nine, especially since it is the smallest in the race's history. That, at least, was the case until genuine interest arose in Dalton's discarded boat last week.
Secrecy surrounds the possible purchaser or the team that is proposed to sail the boat.
No one has been named as skipper, but members of Dalton's syndicate are confident that an 11th entry will materialize. The second Merit Cup would be a premier purchase. Dalton announced he had a difficult time choosing which boat to enter, saying neither boat was blazingly faster than the other. If that is the case, the discarded boat could be an excellent last-minute entry considering Dalton's recent success in winning the Whitbread 60 class in the Fastnet Race.