Even stephens

As Team Dennis Conner even the balance in Louis Vuitton quarter finals

Stars & Stripes USA77 beats Wight Lightning GBR70
Score: 1:1 (second race of seven)

A conventional dial-up marked the opening of the second match between Stars & Stripes and Wight Lightning. After a long hold head-to-wind, the pair eventually fell away to port. For the next few minutes Stars & Stripes were chased by Wight Lightning in the pre-start as the pair sailed back into the safer right-hand side of the box.

Shortly before the start both peeled away, Stars & Stripes to the right and Wight Lightning to the left and there was no further engagement in the pre-start manoeuvring. Wary after suffering at the hands of the umpires yesterday, Stars & Stripes fought for and attained the favored right-hand side of the course at the start but avoided close confrontation with the British boat.

Stars & Stripes crossed the line four seconds ahead and to weather. Both boats still appeared to be evenly matched, as far as speed and height were concerned. But as the race progressed it was the crew of Stars & Stripes who appeared to be more in phase with the shifty conditions. When they made their first tack after nearly 14 minutes, Stars & Stripes led by about 35 yards. Her lead at the first windward mark was 19 seconds, or nearly four boat-lengths. Working the shifts both upwind and down, Team Dennis Conner extended their lead throughout the race until the penultimate leg crossing the finish line 500 yards in front.

For the second round robins Team Dennis Conner have been fielding their second boat, USA77 which sank off Long Beach, California in late July. The American boat is display good speed - yesterday she led the British challenger in their first meeting, only to lose out on two penalties.

Today, in shifty southwesterly breezes of 12-18 knots, the New Yacht Club’s challenger led by 18 yards at the start and extended the margin steadily at every mark of the six-leg course.

Stars & Stripes Terry Hutchinson commented on the racing: "I agree with the result being our best race, but I think that yesterday we sailed equally as good a race and didn’t have the same result. Today we had the luxury of getting a shift ahead. With the oscillations going 25-30 degrees it was pretty easy to extend once we got into that position. But I felt as good yesterday as I do today. I think 77 is definitely a step ahead of where 66 was. It’s proving to be everything we expected it to be, it’s just unfortunate we didn’t get the win yesterday."

On the topic of Dennis Conner's influence on the performance of the team he added: "Certainly we’re not performing right now to the level we’d like to be. The past couple of rounds have probably been pretty tough on DC as he’s used to winning, as we all are. He has a lot of experience of the game and so when he talks about things that we should do everyone listens pretty intently as to us he’s the master at this.

"He’s had a lot to share with us. I feel bad about the way we’ve been performing thus far. All the sailors on the boat and all the sailors on the sailing team recognise that we have to step it up a little and do a better job. He doesn’t really put any pressure on us but he wants to see us win. That’s a pressure we’re all putting on ourselves. I don’t think anything that’s happened in this programme thus far has been DC’s influence, other than just positive.

"He’s never put Kenny or myself or anybody…said that if we don’t start performing we’re not going to be on the boat. I think he recognises that he’s hired us all for our jobs to do and he’s allowing us to do them and when he sees fit to give his input we listen, as he’s won the thing a couple more times."