Yachting: Throw away the skirts, says Conner

By Suzanne McFadden

Dennis Conner, the master of America's Cup gamesmanship, wants to strip away the cloaks of secrecy this time.

The King of the Cup looks certain to leave the skirts off his new boat, Stars and Stripes, which arrives in Tauranga tomorrow.

That means the challenger's underwater appendages will be on show for all to see when it is lifted out of the water each day.

"I'm not sure that we're going to put skirts on the boat. We want to have an open syndicate for people to enjoy," Conner said from his San Diego base.

He believes he has "an extra responsibility to the people" in this America's Cup.

He has the base on the edge of the walkways in the very public cup village and says he chose the site for that reason.

Conner may not be alone if he decides to leave his boat naked. There is talk of other syndicates wanting to do away with the cumbersome covers.

America True's David Barnes - Conner's rival skipper in the 1988 cat-v-dog cup - wants the skirts outlawed in the next America's Cup.

Shrouds have been part of the cup since 1887. In San Diego in 1995, the challenger and defender finalists agreed to drop their skirts and show their bottoms in a day of unveiling.

That will happen in Auckland on January 20.

The unadorned Stars and Stripes hull, minus her appendages, is expected to arrive by container ship tomorrow, but will have to wait until after the weekend to make the journey to Auckland by truck.

USA55 has never touched the water - she will be launched early next month.

So Conner, a veteran of eight cup campaigns, cannot be drawn on whether he believes he has another winning boat.

"How would you know right now? If she's fast we will love her. If not, the tears will flow."

Some of the Stars and Stripes crew arrived in Auckland last weekend to set up the base for the arrival of the boat - only the second new challenge yacht in town.

"We're in a state of organised chaos at this point, packing and unpacking," Conner said.

While preparing for this cup, he has been putting together his next round-the-world campaign for the 2001 Volvo Ocean Race, which he plans to base in New Zealand.

"It's not that far away. We have to start building in February next year," he said.

Kiwi round-the-world veterans Murray Ross and Erle Williams have been working on both projects.

"If you think of New Zealand sailors, these guys are at the top of the line," said Conner.

"Murray Ross is the unsung hero of New Zealand sailing. He's one of the last Renaissance men in the world. You could never ask for a better friend."

Conner will be back in New Zealand - now his second home - for the launch of the boat, but he will not be fully on board in Auckland until the first week of October.

After being an early critic of this cup regatta, the big guy has now become a big fan.

"Being offshore makes this cup special for me. Other than Fremantle, I've always been racing for the cup in the United States.

"I'm excited about the venue. It will be the nicest ever."