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- NATION, Page 21American NotesYACHTINGCourting the America's Cup
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- Even landlubbers who find yacht racing about as exciting as
- watching grass grow might get a charge out of the litigious
- storm swirling around the America's Cup. After the San Diego
- Yacht Club defeated a challenger from New Zealand a year ago,
- a New York judge took the Cup away from skipper Dennis Conner
- and awarded it to the loser. The judge reasoned that Conner had
- violated the "spirit" of the competition by racing a
- featherweight catamaran as a last-minute response to New
- Zealand's extra-long 132-ft. monohull.
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- Last week the case took another tack as a New York appeals
- court overturned that judgment and restored the Cup to the U.S.
- The decision was applauded in San Diego. But in New Zealand
- Michael Fay, head of the challenging syndicate, hooted, "A
- disgrace to sport. If it is not overturned, sportsmanship and
- the Cup are out the window." New Zealand will appeal. Planning
- for a 1992 Cup competition off San Diego has been on indefinite
- hold, but is now expected to resume.
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