AMERICA’S CUP UPDATE : NOTEBOOK : Conner Doesn’t Blame Cayard for Challenging New Zealand

SAN DIEGO — Line Dennis Conner up alongside Il Moro di Venezia skipper Paul Cayard on the issue of New Zealand’s bowsprit.

“I could see how it might be an advantage to have your spinnaker attached indirectly right straight to that bowsprit,” Conner said Sunday. “It would make the sail more stable. But if that sail is an outrigger, then they’re in violation of the rule, and if they are I don’t blame Paul Cayard for stepping up to bat.

“If he thinks they’re wrong, he has to do whatever it takes to stand up for his team. I’d be doing the same thing if I were Paul. Paul is doing exactly what he should be doing . . . taking it to the wall.

“This is the big leagues. This is not kindergarten. It might not be popular. It might not read well. But Paul is a strong, tough guy. He knows the rules. If he has a conviction that the Kiwis are wrong, he should take it as fas as he can and press for his rights.”

On-board microphones to go with the on-board cameras has offered insights to how much talking goes on among a crew during a race. Generally, it’s not much.

Stars & Stripes tactician Tom Whidden said, “If I’m quiet it’s one of two things: Either I like what (skipper) Dennis (Conner) is doing or I don’t like what I see. He usually knows in that case that we have to do better and I have to snap out of it and start giving him some better feedback.”

At one point Sunday, Conner was heard to ask, “Any ideas?”

He also urges and inspires his crew: “Concentrate, guys, concentrate!” and “Nice (spinnaker) set, guys.”

When he doesn’t like something, he’ll usually make a point with a question: “(Is the jib) a little tight, Billy (Trenkle)?”

Conner said, “It’s important for me to get Tom’s feedback because we had some problems in light air with our target boat speed, so we use the other boat as our speedometer.”

With a sore knee for the past week and a half, Conner has been sitting down more, often with his back to America 3.

“If I can’t see the other boat, it’s hard for me to get an idea as to whether I should be going higher and slower or lower and faster. That’s when I really need Tom talking to me.”

There was a curious exchange on Il Moro di Venezia a few days ago. American skipper Cayard told tactician Enrico Chieffi something in Italian, and Chieffi answered in English.

The exchanges between multi-millionaires Raul Gardini and Sir Michael Fay at Sunday morning’s press conference concerning the Kiwi bowsprit were reminiscent of the billionaire bashing between Alan Bond and Kevin Parry at Fremantle in ‘86-87.

The two Australian tycoons not only were rivals in sailing--Bond with Australia III and IV and Parry with Kookaburra I, II and III--but in business and appointments to their adjacent estates on the Swan River fronting Perth.

Today both are bankrupt.