Yachting: Spain's growing list of misfortunes

By Suzanne McFadden

Spain's spell of America's Cup bad luck just got worse.

Desafio Espanol, whose campaign has been dogged by misfortune, yesterday lost their first matchrace dress rehearsal for the Louis Vuitton challenger series through gear failure.

The Spanish yacht Bravo Espana was leading Young Australia in the practice race on the Hauraki Gulf when its mainsail exploded in a solid 20 knot breeze.

This year alone, Spain have suffered the death of a crewman in training, lost their mast at the boat's launch and have run aground in the Viaduct Basin.

While yesterday's mishap was to an old training mainsail, the damage must still dampen the crew's morale.

But the win boosted the confidence of the Young Australians, who have had their share of dilemmas since splashing their old 1995 boat, AUS29, in Auckland.

The youth crew have had to contend with faulty hydraulics on their first day out, a blown headsail in their first fleet race, and a chunk of the boat's stern torn out by America True on Wednesday.

"We had a pretty good little tacking duel with the Spanish before their sail blew up in front of us," said team coach Rob Brown.

"We've learned this week that our boat is still competitive - and everyone's heads are up high."

In the other inter-syndicate clash of the day, AmericaOne outgunned the French Sixieme Sens, winning by a comfortable 1m 40s margin.

AmericaOne tactician John Kostecki said the crew took the race "very seriously". In the true spirit of gamesmanship in the America's Cup, crews often hold back in the lead-up to racing.

"We weren't using our best sails, but we weren't intentionally holding back either," Kostecki said. "We were basically giving it all we had."

The black and green American boat pulled away from Sixieme Sens halfway up the first beat as they both sailed up the right side of the course.

On the downwind leg, the French made up a couple of boatlengths, but around the top mark for a second time, AmericaOne was 10 lengths in front.

Most of the syndicates who have mixed it this week were one-raceboat teams who wanted to break the boredom of trialling, and took advantage of the full race set-up, with marker buoys and starters gun.

America True won all three fleet races this week, skipper Dawn Riley scoffing at an old sailing superstition that it's bad luck to win the dress rehearsal.

"Women on boats are supposed to be bad luck too," she said.

True won by convincing margins each day. The biggest fleet numbered six, with Abracadabra 2000, Sixieme Sens, Bravo Espana, Young Australia, America True and its training boat, NZL39.

Stars & Stripes breezed by but didn't stop to engage in battle.

"It's been very social - much more than the defenders were in past cups," Riley said.

"Being so close in the village has something to do with it. It's still strange seeing Dennis Conner peering over the fence and checking out our deck layout."