Double fear sinks $80m dream

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

The terror of sinking and the fear that someone would die have combined to end an $80 million America's Cup dream for Young America.

Five years of toil ended in despair yesterday for the syndicate when their run in the cup was torpedoed by rival America True's decision to stay on land.

With the Young Americans' hopes went the dreams of New Zealand sailors Ross Halcrow, Grant Spanhake and Jamie Gale.

Halcrow and Gale were part of Team New Zealand's cup victory four years ago but jumped ship to the New Yorkers' camp.

Tears welled in the eyes of syndicate head John Marshall, a veteran of nine America's Cup regattas, as he described his team's despair at missing the cut for the challenger semifinals.

After almost losing one boat when it cracked in half on the Hauraki Gulf, Marshall said the confidence of the sailing crew had been eroded.

"That boat could have killed someone. Until the team had built a lot of confidence in USA58 [the second boat], they were gun-shy."

The crew became distressed when they heard cracking noises on the second boat a week later and were afraid to push it too hard.

The challengers from the historic New York Yacht Club, for 132 years the home of the Auld Mug, had their lifeline to the Louis Vuitton Cup challengers' semifinals severed when rivals America True decided to forfeit their race to Le Defi France, giving the French the final top-six spot.

The French kept the champagne on ice last night. They have still to sail around the course alone - without breaking - to claim the nine points to put them in the semis.

Strong winds denied them the routine sail yesterday so the agony is drawn out for the shattered Young Americans.

Marshall said it would have been more humane for the crew to have been eliminated outright yesterday.

"We have 70 people there and I hate seeing them having to go through this. Rationally we're finished. Divine intervention is always a possibility, but we won't rely on that too much."

Marshall could see America True's side: "If I had been in their place I wouldn't have put my boat out there in 30 knots of breeze [and] risk breaking it."