(2 of 3)
When Conner & Co. tried to ignore the challenge, Fay hauled the dispute to court -- another first for the Cup. The New York State Supreme Court, which is the trustee of the deed, backed Fay. Conner then announced that he would defend in a catamaran. After all, Conner argued, Fay had come on like a corporate raider. "This is no different from an unfriendly takeover," Conner said. "We took our poison pill in the form of a catamaran." Fay went back to court to protest that Conner should compete in a boat similar to New Zealand, but Justice Carmen Ciparick told him to belay the wind. Race first, she instructed, then protest if you want to.
Since arriving in San Diego some three months ago with his crew of 40 and dockside help numbering an additional 24, Fay has mounted a campaign worthy of P.T. Barnum to publicize the alleged inequity of the boats. He commissioned an $11,300 Gallup poll, which found that 53% of Americans feel it is not fair for sailboats of radically different designs to race against one other. "Polls can get any answer you want," shrugged Conner. Last month the Kiwis rented a 35-ft. catamaran called Invictus to test against New Zealand. The Kiwis reported that the cat "blitzed" their big boat. But last week New Zealand's Barnes admitted that the Kiwi boat had in fact beaten Invictus in the trial's more moderate winds. Conner went even further. Said he: "Invictus is a dog."
What really are New Zealand's chances this week? The big boat was expected to have some advantage in Races 1 and 3, which are sailed directly into and with the wind on 40-mile courses. With its 20,000-sq.-ft. total sail area to catch a following breeze, the Kiwi craft is figured as the fastest monohull in the world, capable of speeds approaching 20 knots. On the triangular second course, however, the lightweight, even speedier cat (top speed: above 20 knots) should be able to outsail New Zealand across the wind. New Zealand can tack more tightly and quickly than Stars & Stripes, an advantage in sudden wind shifts and puffs of breeze. But as Kiwi Skipper Barnes noted, "If it's a straight race, it'll be a horizon job" -- meaning that the cat will be so far out in front, it will disappear over the horizon.
Whichever boat wins, yachting enthusiasts are agog about the futuristic designs of both. For instance, they each have hulls of strong, ultralight carbon fiber. New Zealand employs unique onboard computers. One system uses TV cameras mounted atop the 150-ft. mast to "read" the positions of the sails and then compares them with ideal models for the given wind, speed and direction. That allows the sail trimmers to fine-tune for speed. Stars & Stripes sports a radically new, 108-ft.-tall wing sail, a vertical version of an airplane wing that is larger than the one on a Boeing 747. The design uses wind to create "lift," which in this case produces horizontal thrust.
Last week both sides worked feverishly to guard against breakdowns. The Kiwis spent most of their waking hours "bulletproofing" New Zealand -- double-checking every screw and shroud for reliability. The process, said Fay, is "one of the things that might win this race for us." Conner, meanwhile, worried about the wind stress that Stars & Stripes' design imposes on its gear, which could break or become fouled. Also, catamarans are notorious for tipping over easily.