Yachting: Skippers race for life preservers

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

The Bees, the new billionaires' club of the America's Cup, are pushing the Auld Mug out of the reach of more humble contenders.

So some of the world's top skippers are jumping ship before their old campaigns sink.

Frenchman Bertrand Pace, No 1 on the world matchrace circuit, is likely to leave the struggling Le Defi. He has even talked to Team New Zealand, who are looking for a back-up skipper to duel with Dean Barker.

New Zealander John Cutler has left the wheel of America True to join the ranks of one of the world's richest men, American Larry Ellison.

Cutler is unlikely to drive the boat - his old boss Chris Dickson is expected to call the shots. ,

That leaves a question mark over the role of AmericaOne skipper Paul Cayard, also part of the Ellison team who are buying all the Cayard syndicate's assets.

Peter Gilmour jumped off Nippon before they folded, and left a new Australian challenge disappointed when he signed with Seattle.

In the last week, the Japanese and Spanish syndicates from the last Cup have bowed out, and another could be on the way.

With two years and two months to go until the Louis Vuitton Cup, at least 13 potential challengers are making noises - yet no one has paid their entry fee.

Here are the noise-makers:

Italy: Prada's gallant run in the last Cup has bred talk of at least two challenges out of Italy.

Prada are in, for sure. But a second challenge could come from Naples, and another rich man, shipping magnate Vincenzo Onorato.

He has the backing of a Japanese insurance company and the services of big boat designer Giovanni Ceccarelli.

Prada are well underway, back training in Punta Ala with a fleet of four boats - two Luna Rossas, two Young Americas.

United States: Billionaire Ellison is about to close a deal to buy America One's assets and launch his syndicate with San Francisco's St Francis Yacht Club.

But what happens to Paul Cayard, the head of AmericaOne? If Dickson skippers the boat, and Ellison runs the campaign, Cayard will be left in a lesser role.

OneWorld, the Seattle-based syndicate of telecommunications billionaire Craig McCaw, continues to roll on, while their neighbours, rival syndicate the Seattle Challenge, stutter trying to raise local funds.

Old foes Dennis Conner and the New York Yacht Club are back together as Stars and Stripes, and only time will tell if the unusual alliance survives through until October 2002.

America True skipper Dawn Riley is still out hunting for money for another shot at the Cup, but a number of her sailors have moved on.

Switzerland: Russell Coutts' un-named team continue to sign up Kiwi brains.

The latest is understood to be Richard Bouzaid, off-shore sailor and successful Auckland sailmaker.

The billionaire-backed team are now looking at buying Nippon's two boats.

The second Swiss team, Watch Out, have chartered Team NZ's 1995 Cup winner, NZL32, for the next two Auckland summers.

Sweden: The Victory Challenge bought old Team NZ boat NZL38, and the Kiwis are teaching them how to sail it. The campaign, backed by Swedish media mogul Jan Stenbeck and run by Olympian Mats Johansson, are seriously light on Cup experience.

Australia: It's all quiet on the western front as far as the new $A60 million campaign set up by former test pilot Michael Jones.

Jones has been in meetings in Europe, but could be struggling after failing to sign up Gilmour.

Six-time Cup veteran Syd Fischer is adamant he will be back with Young Australia, certain to be another bare-bones youth team.

France: Whispers coming out of France are not too good for Le Defi, battling to find the huge dollars needed to be competitive this time. They say they have enough to carry on for the next six months, but skipper Pace says he doubts whether he will sign up again.

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