Yachting: Australians after 'new' yacht

By Suzanne McFadden

Young Australia could be sailing a different, faster America's Cup boat in the second round of the challenger series this weekend.

The Australians are negotiating to take possession of OneAustralia - the only boat to have beaten Team New Zealand in the 1995 America's Cup - to sail through the rest of the Louis Vuitton Cup series.

OneAustralia - the one which did not sink off San Diego - has been used by Paul Cayard's AmericaOne syndicate as a trial horse for the new USA49 in Auckland.

But last night there were legal matters being checked out with the America's Cup arbitration panel to make sure that the handover would not breach rules stopping the transfer of technology between syndicates.

Young Australia battled through the first round with AUS29, Syd Fischer's boat which finished last in 1995, using a mast from 1992. They won one race of 10.

Under the rules, the team would be able to sail OneAustralia because it was designed and built in Australia. It is understood that AmericaOne have made no changes to the boat while they have had it, and yesterday it passed a measurer's inspection.

OneAustralia has been described as the second-fastest boat in San Diego four years ago - it was at least one minute faster than Fischer's boat. But Young Australia will still have the oldest boat in the fleet.

The young crew have a bye on the opening day of round two on Saturday, but would race their new boat against Le Defi France on Sunday.

If the Young Australians fail to acquire OneAustralia, they have made alterations to AUS29, among them moving the mast forward.

America True, Stars & Stripes and Le Defi have all made big alterations to their boats during the break - Le Defi adding a new keel and making their boat longer.