Yachting: Relations strained in Cup camp

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Leading America's Cup challenger Stars & Stripes last night incurred the wrath of their Japanese rivals Nippon and neighbours America True.

Neighbourly relations are souring between Stars & Stripes and America True after Dennis Conner's challenge were given a second day off today to fix their damaged America's Cup boat. That means another day without a race for their angry opponents, the Trues.

Then Team DC were served with notice that Nippon had last night lodged a protest against them with the international jury.

The Japanese believe Stars & Stripes used an illegal appendage - a rudder or keel - in their first-up semifinal win over Nippon five days ago.

The protest revolves around the nationality clause of the cup protocol - an appendage cannot be built outside of the syndicate's country or outside New Zealand.

The jury, who have earned their keep in the past few days, will hear that protest tonight.

In the meantime, Stars & Stripes were granted a further 24 hours to repair the split in their boat's stern, the result of a crash with Le Defi France in the Louis Vuitton Cup on Wednesday. The French were last night penalised half a point for failing to avoid the collision - taking their total to an unprecedented -0.5.

Their next scheduled opponents, America True, protested loudly at the jury hearing.

True skipper Dawn Riley said she had peered over the wall between the two camps on Syndicate Row yesterday and did not think there had been much repair work underway.

"We think if they had any motivation at all to fix a small area of damage in a non-structural place they would have done it by now," she said.

"We are right next door and we have seen, in my opinion, a lack of intensity and desire to fix it. They could have put duct tape on it and gone sailing that night. They are taking full advantage of the rule.

"I like Team Dennis Conner; I like the guys. But we have to fight for what we believe is in our best interests."

The official measurer, Ken McAlpine, visited Team Dennis Conner's base twice yesterday to check on the progress of the repairs to the long crack through the scoop of the Stars & Stripes' stern.

He told the jury that work was still continuing, and the jury decided to grant a second 24 hours' grace to Stars & Stripes.

The postponed race is now likely to be held over until the end of the round, which won't finish now until at least January 14 - just six days before the Louis Vuitton Cup finalists and defender Team New Zealand have to declare and unveil their boats.

America True will go two-boat testing today while the other races carry on - AmericaOne versus Nippon and Prada against Le Defi. Those races should have been held yesterday, but winds on the gulf could not even muster themselves above two knots.

"We're not going to sit around wasting time," Riley said. "But we absolutely want to race.

"The good thing is every time we have got angry we have sailed better." The Trues have one win from three so far.