America's Cup rules may sink Russians

By Suzanne McFadden

The Russians are coming to Auckland with a mystery boat they have built for the America's Cup - but it may all be in vain.

Cup officials say they know nothing about the yacht, which is sitting in a yard in St Petersburg, and it could be illegal under cup rules.

The commodore of the challenging St Petersburg Yacht Club, Vladimir Kulbida, was in Auckland yesterday with the syndicate's first container-load of gear, looking for somewhere to set up base.

Mr Kulbida said the syndicate's yacht had been built and equipment was being installed on its deck, ready for a launch within two months.

He is also building a 100m ship to transport the yacht to Auckland in September, a month before the challenger series begins.

But their trip may be stonkered by protocol. Ken McAlpine, the technical director of the International America's Cup Class, said the Russians had not contacted him about their boat.

A sail number must be issued in the early stages of hull construction.

"We needed to have the line plans provided to us to define the shape of the boat," Mr McAlpine said from Perth. "This hasn't happened. Obviously it would be a concern."

The yacht may have grown from the skeleton of an aborted Russian entry in 1992, but Mr Kulbida insisted this was a new boat.

In a last-ditch effort to conform, core samples could be drilled from the boat, but the other challengers would have to agree to it.

Mr Kulbida was yesterday looking to set up base in the America's Cup Village.

Although the village is full, operations manager Grant Davidson said some syndicates were having problems paying for their bases, and a space could yet come up.

Little has been heard from the Russians until now, although Mr Kulbida was in Auckland for a challengers' meeting in March.

Russia has never raced in an America's Cup.