Yachting: Wind blows up Nippon hopes

By Suzanne McFadden


In a perfect world, the America's Cup would be sailed in all wind conditions on a one-mile course in front of the grassy grandstand of Auckland's North Head.

This is not a perfect world. Nippon skipper Peter Gilmour is resigned to it, but would nevertheless prefer it was different.

Gilmour and his Japanese crew were frustrated yesterday when racing on day two of the Louis Vuitton Cup second round was called off before midday because of strong winds.

"We understand the race committee's decision but we thought it was a bit hasty," he said. "Under the rules you can wait until 3 pm to start a race. They should have waited until then."

As it was, the 22-knot gusts died down to under the 18-knot limit - set by the challengers - a couple of hours after the call was made.

In the meantime, Gilmour, the world's No 1 matchracing skipper, has pondered other changes that would make the America's Cup regatta a more spectator-friendly sport.

"We had a bit of a lineup with Team New Zealand the other day inside the harbour, under North Head," he said. "It made us think how nice it would be to have short, little courses with a one-mile beat along Auckland's waterfront."

Gilmour said the match up with the defender was unplanned and brief - it did not contravene the unspoken rule among the challengers not to lock horns with Team New Zealand before February.

"We both happened to be going around the same buoys at the same time," Gilmour said.

Nippon had their first win in their first clash of the second round on Saturday, again beating Abracadabra.

Today they will meet unbeaten Prada - who showed rare weakness on the weekend, grappling with a broken top mast in their victory over Fast2000.

Nippon fell short of pre-race rankings in the first round, ending up in fifth place, but Gilmour said the syndicate's expectations were not as high as everyone else's.

"We've always said whatever happens before January is simply seeding for the semifinals," he said. "As little as 40 points will get you in."

America True face their second tough encounter in as many races, up against AmericaOne today after losing to Young America by 33s.

The Young Australians got an extra day of practice in their new boat, the old OneAustralia, before its 1999 debut against Le Defi France today.

Australian skipper James Spithill has already won some bottles of French wine in a bet with French skipper Bertrand Pace - after the Wallabies beat the Tricolors in the World Cup rugby final.