Word: zealand
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...black mark in yachting's record book. Conner's 1983 defeat by Australia broke the New York Yacht Club's 132-year winning streak. This time, Conner has heeled over, hunkered down and blasted to a comfortable -- and unexpected -- 3-1 lead over the fiber-glass-hulled New Zealand in the best-of-seven series to determine who will challenge Australia...
Beyond that, the leading contender, New Zealand, which has won 33 of 34 races so far, is a newcomer sailing in its first Cup. The Kiwis' fiber-glass hull is the first in the history of the event (the others are made of aluminum), and the development could produce, say some experts, yet another first: an all-Pacific America's Cup final, commencing...
Four challengers, who have sailed 34 races each since October, have emerged to compete in the semifinals, which begin Dec. 28. The leader, New Zealand, has amassed 198 points out of a possible 199; it will sail a best-ofseven series against fourth-place French Kiss (129 points), named after its sponsor, Kis, a French manufacturer of photographic equipment. Kiss has been a surprise, surviving with a brash young crew and steady sailing. Second-place Stars & Stripes (154 points), skippered by Dennis Conner, who lost the Cup in '83 and is determined to get it back, will battle...
...Zealand leads the betting as favorite challenger. In Auckland, supporters are distributing maps of the proposed 1990 racing course, and Cup fever has reportedly driven up the price of local shoreline property by 30%. New Zealand has done equally well in both light and heavy weather. The key to the boat's success is its fiber-glass hull, which helps eliminate pitching in the Fremantle chop. The Kiwi crew improves with each race. "A month ago we might have said we were scoring 90 out of 100," says confident Skipper Chris Dickson, 25. "Now I think there's 110 points...
...weeks ago, however, Conner fired a new -- and strange -- shot across New Zealand's bow. "There have been 78 aluminum 12-meters built, so why would you build one of fiber glass unless you wanted to cheat?" he asked at a press conference. Added Blackaller: "My engineers have told me for six years that you can't build a fiber-glass boat light and strong enough . . . under the rules." The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda of Sardinia, organizer of the challenger series, has not responded to the war of words. As a matter of normal procedure, however, it will remeasure...