European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 4, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday february 1987 the stars and stripes Paga 23 commentary Conner ready of begin Long reign in the slanting Sun off fre Manlic Buitra Lia on the Indian Ocean horns of other boats serenaded stars a stripes return to her Dock with a 3-0lead Over Kookaburra ii in the America s cup final. Across the shipyard a 4-year-old australian girl Ina yellow dress looked up at her Mother in a Blue polka Dot dress Why did t we win " the Little girl asked. We had a slightly smaller boat her Mother said. In front of them his legs Dan Sling Over the Edge of the Dock 8 bearded Young australian in a yellow t shirt and Khaki shorts turned to the Mother an smiled. Tell her the truth the Man said. We had a slightly weaker boat the Mother said smiling Down at her daughter. But it s still a Good the australians arc Good fans. For each Crew Only applause was heard. No Boos. To see thousands of people cheering you on when you Haven t won a race that s pretty said Iain Murray the australian skipper. The Sim ple answer is that stars & stripes scents to be faster. No matter what the wind it has the ability to make major the Royal Perth yacht club is beginning to real ize How the new York yacht club Felt in 1983.when Australia ii ended its 132-year winning Streak. In the nyc. The America s cup had been bolted to a wooden table inside a Glass Caw for decades. But Here it i perched behind Bullet proof Glass on a mar ble Pedestal bolted to the Cement floor of the Royal Perth observation lounge. If someone even taps on that Glass a 9-foot steel shutter slams Down around the after stars & stripes triumphed by 1 min Ute 46 seconds monday Royal Perth announce that the America cup trophy presentation would be held on the second Day following the final race of the Besl of seven race series that resumes wednesday. Dave Anc Lerson not that Royal Perth was conceding. But it surely agreed with one australian s thought that stars & stripes had put another kooks on the and As Ben Lexcen watched the american yacht slash through water the Shade of Dallas Cowboy Blue the designer of he winged keel that enabled Australia ii to win the cup in 1983 doubled hat the United Stales would lose the cup in the foreseeable future. It la take 1,000 years Well maybe 100 years to Petit Back again Lexcen was saying now who s going to do it nobody will Ever have that advantage we had with the winged this time the stars St stripes skipper Dennis Conner is Al the Helm of a 12-meter with a winged keel. This time Conner s yacht has the wings tha Liis 1983 yacht Liberty did t have. Maybe when Dennis gets tired Well have a Chance whenever that is Lexcen said of the 44-year-old san Diego drapery company owner who has talked of steering America s cup yachts until the next Century. We Don t have any sailors in Australia we have rowers. We have two rowers on Kook who d never been on a Sailboat before. And the United states has 20 times More people to choose from than we do. But the big thing is even when we did win we were using a Rifle against a club and Dennis still almost beat us. It s our sunburned minds. We need More Crocodile Dundee Down Here we really of All the world s 12-meter yachtsmen Conner appears to lower above the others if Only in experience. Dennis is looking at a dial telling him How far he is from the starting line Lexcen said Iain Murray has that same dial but Iain does t have Dennis s 10,000 hours. Iain s Good he s Brilliant but he just does t have the experience the first race we were bloody terrified. Halfway through this third race our Kookaburra Crew was looking Over at Den Nis boat that s in the America s cup you can t go to your backup quarterback. You can t juggle your Balling order. You can t get the opposing team s High scorer in foul trouble. You can t fire the manager either although lain Murray might not be Safe if George Steinbrenner were the principal owner of the Kookaburra Iii yacht. Murray has lost All three races but not his dignity. And certainly not his sense of humor. Asked to comment on a reported bomb threat he tried not to smile. Our rubber boat came he said and told us you be got a bomb on Board. What do you want to do?1 we checked our options list. And our imme Diate response was what s the bad news then we thought this is our Chance to find out what life is All about after 12-meter racing. We took the third option to continue in the race. We were Well behind. We did t think if a bomb went off it was going to affect the result of the maybe the kooks As they arc known Here will find a Way to win the next four races. Just As the mets found a Way to score three runs with two out in the 10th inning of the sixth world series game. Just As Phil stems. Found a Way to Complete a found and-17 pass for the giants against the Minnesota Vikings. But barring a Miracle Dennis Conner who already has begun to pack his bags will be taking the America s cup to his san Diego yacht club. And the new York yacht club can kiss the cup goodbye they la never get it Back now Lexcen said. If it s not in san Diego it la be in some other nation. They better do something else with that trophy room. Make it a bar Swiss nabs super a 2nd world ski Gold crans Montana Switzerland a Maria Walliser mastered a Tough super a course with a daring and nearly flawless run tuesday to win her second Gold medal and give Switzerland a re Cord equating five titles at the world Al Pine ski championships. Walliser again clinched the Gold medal by outpacing her great rival from the Swiss learn Michela Figini. Walliser also won the downhill Gold medal ahead of Figini the defending Champion. Before the championships i never believed i could win two Gold medals an elated Walliser said. This was the hardest super a i have Ever raced. The course was very Steep and difficult and the Snow was the latest Victory brought to five the number of Gold medals for the Swiss team equating the record set by Austria in 1962 in Chamonix France when just six titles were at stake. The Home squad has won five of six races so far Here and with their team in top form they appear ready to break the record Walliser made no mistakes on the 1,435-Mcter-Long Chc theron course blazing through 39 Gates in i minute 19.17 seconds More Figini. Figini racing with a bruised right thigh clinched Ner second Silver medal with a Lime of 1 20.18 and said later she had made a lot of mistakes. Male a sect the rising yugoslav Star who was involved in a car crash three Days ago took the Bronze medal in1 20-23, preventing a Swiss sweep. Svel who said she made three mis takes after posting Law fastest intermediate Lime edged Vreni Schneider of Switzerland by just two bund Redlus of a second to become the first yugoslav woman to win a championship medal. Schneider left the course in tears after barely missing a medal for the second Lime. She was fourth in the combined. Sylvia Edcur of Austria the Silver med Alist in the combined placed fifth in1 20.65. Debbie Armstrong of the United states the 1984 giant slalom olympic Champion was sixth in 1 21.07. It was a disastrous Day for the West germans considered before the race to be the biggest rivals of the Swiss. Michaela Gerg was eighth Traudl Hatcher i3lh, while Regina the downhill Bronze medallist placed 14th. Marina Kiehl the defending world cup super a Champion appeared to botch a Gate Early on the course and in explain edly dropped out. Walliser who had won two world cup super graces this season said she did t think i was having a great run but i was trying to do my Best and i was confident after my downhill win. When i came Down i knew i was Figini said she made too Many mis takes on the lower part of the course. To beat Wall scr in such a form you have to have a perfect run Figini said. But to get a medal on a course As difficult As this makes me very Happy Svet who was fifth on the course and followed Wall scr was faster than the Swiss Ace by four hundredths of a second at the intermediate Liming Point and silenced the partisan Home she went wide in a curve near the Bottom then made two More mistakes a nolo Murta Wajser masters Tough course in once More besting teammate Michela i uni. Days ago the car with Svel and her coach was involved in a medal takes a lot of pressure away. I think 1 am ready to Challenge the Swiss in the giant slalom sect said. Armstrong who hid a relatively High i Sill suiting posit in said she was Sal ii find with i r Purfiirnuiiio-1. We Are improving with each Rait. And i think we have Good Hopes for the giant slalom she said of the . men s giant slalom is scheduled for wednesday with the women giant slalom ont sunday. While trying to recover some time. I went wide i lost my Grove the 18 year old yugoslav said. I almost started crying coming Down the final stretch 1 thought i had lost the Svel almost quit raring when she was involved in a dispute with yugoslav coaches earlier this season. She left the world cup circuit after a race in Italy and went Home. She returned after the yugoslav women s coach resigned and Sci got her old Trainer Back. On her Way to crans Montana three
