SAILING

Larry Klein of San Diego, who had a woman removed from his crew in a controversial incident at Baltimore last month, has resigned from the America-3 America’s Cup effort, the syndicate announced Friday.

Klein, the 1989 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year after winning the world championships in the J-24 and Etchells 22 classes, had his own Triumph America syndicate until merging recently with Eastern industrialist Bill Koch’s campaign.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to be a member of this team,” he was quoted in Cup Report, official publication of the America’s Cup Organizing Committee.

However, with veterans Buddy Melges, Gary Jobson and Koch also on the America-3 sailing team, Klein’s role seemed to diminish. Then, after the first day of the Columbus Cup match-racing event in Baltimore, he approached the race committee to request that Linda Stearns be removed from his crew.

Barbara Wolfe, spokesperson for America-3, did not link Klein’s resignation to the incident, but said: “He handled it poorly (when) he went to the race committee. He didn’t think she was strong enough or heavy enough.”