Yachting: French cut loose on yacht

By SUZANNE MCFADDEN

The defeated Le Defi will attack their America's Cup boat with chainsaws this morning.

The French have decided to chop up Sixieme Sens and rebuild it to make a better boat for next time.

Le Defi will cut off the bow of the narrow orange-and-blue boat this morning and put on a new nose tomorrow.

Before the Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals began, Le Defi skipper Bertrand Pace said the front of the boat would be reconstructed regardless of whether France made the challenger final or not.

Sixieme Sens will be refloated early next week, and the French will offer their services in the new-look boat to help tune-up the two surviving challengers, AmericaOne and Prada.

Unlike Nippon and America True, the fledgling French syndicate have not confirmed that they will be back for the next regatta. But it is understood they already have some financial promises from sponsors keen to see another challenge.

Neither of the finalists have been back in the water since the end of the semifinals. AmericaOne should be sailing with their two boats again today, weather permitting, while the Prada crew have another day off before returning to sea tomorrow.