Yachting: Americans' lucky charm no shrinking Violet

.

Her name's Violet, and the AmericaOne yachting crew aren't too sure if the politically correct brigade will let her stay on board.

She's the character with long legs and tight dress painted on the inside of the hull, known as the sewer, of the America's Cup boat.

Violet, based on the patriotic figures painted on United States Second World War bomber planes, made her first appearance "pre-sewercam" - the television camera installed deep inside the bow of the boat where the sails are stored.

She was dreamt up by AmericaOne's grinders and bowmen.

Since her first showing on television in the Louis Vuitton Cup finals, AmericaOne have been gearing for the reaction, good or bad.

"We put Violet up as a good luck charm," bowman Curtis Blewett said. "We were hoping to leave her there, she's been working so far."

Blewett said the figure appeared before the semifinals, where AmericaOne won eight out of their 10 races to finish top qualifier for the finals.

He said the team were now waiting on the public reaction to see if she could stay, or whether the image would have to be erased.

While the Americans have a girl on board, there is little chance of a similar appearance from final rivals Prada.

The superstitious Italians do not allow women on board because they believe it is bad luck.

Their lucky charm is 73-year-old Renzo Guidi, a retired hotelier from the tiny seaside village of Castiglione della Pescaia, near Prada's summer base in Punta Alta, Tuscany. He is a friend of Prada boss Patrizio Bertelli.