A day of crash and bash

By Suzanne McFadden

Kiwi America's Cup helmsman John Cutler, yesterday's villain-turned-hero on the Hauraki Gulf, would have made a mighty fine stockcar driver.

Behind the wheel of America True, Cutler swerved himself into trouble before he even crossed the start line, then crashed his speedy yellow boat with Nippon's Asura a couple of times - and still got the chequered flag.

His penance was to bail water out of the scarred boat on the tow back to Auckland.

But he could be punished further tonight in the jury room. When the scrapes on the hulls had been smoothed and painted over last night, Nippon launched a protest.

The Japanese have asked for redress in the wake of confusion over just how many penalties were handed out during a day of furious flag-waving. They believe America True still have a 270 degree turn to do.

Back in the Trues camp, "Crash" Cutler was a hero - helping keep the boys-and-girls one-boat crew up in second place on the Louis Vuitton Cup ladder behind Prada.

Skipper Dawn Riley described it as a "wild and scary" day, which began with violence before the boats entered the course.

The two yachts locked masts in the pre-start, ripping out America True's masthead wand, leaving them unable to work out windspeed and direction for the rest of the race.

The Trues were stung twice for failing to get out of Nippon's way, and had to make one of their penalty turns after crossing the start line, giving the Japanese a good head start.

America True sneaked ahead on the last upwind leg, catching a windshift on the left side of the course, and led the way into the final run to the line.

Nippon's driver Peter Gilmour, the No 1 skipper in the world, should have played it safe - sailing just behind the Trues to the line, knowing they still had a 270 degree turn to carry out.

Instead, he fell into a web spun by Cutler, who drove the Japanese boat in the last America's Cup. Cutler figured the only way to win this race was to make Nippon incur a penalty so their own would be cancelled out.

America True slowed down so Nippon drew alongside. Cutler luffed, and Gilmour failed to get out of the way - penalty against the Japanese.

But then Cutler got too close and swiped the stern of Nippon, earning the Trues a penalty. Asura suddenly stopped dead in the water then slewed sideways, graunching along the starboard side of the True's hull. The penalty count was even again, and America True sailed to a 12s win.

Last night, however, Gilmour was sure he remembered seeing the umpires raise another flag against the Americans during the fracas, and wanted it checked out.

Two hours after the race Cutler was still running on adrenalin. "I think I need a lie down - my heart's still pounding," he said. "It was probably my noisiest performance ever. I was yelling at the crew, yelling at Nippon, and yelling to the umpires behind us."

America True are now 1.5 points clear of Stars & Stripes, who were handed a walkover win by the damage-plagued, and controversial, Young Americans. The New York boat, given a bonus point earlier in the day for being unable to sail on Wednesday, couldn't raise its mainsail and eventually retired for the second-day running.

AmericaOne, who have protested at the jury for handing out points willy-nilly, scored a big win over the Young Australians, who couldn't get their spinnaker down.