AMERICA’S CUP NOTEBOOK : Some Challengers Have a Rocky Day

SAN DIEGO — The informal races among the challengers don’t count toward the America’s Cup, but they have had some interesting features.

On Wednesday, the French crunched the Australians, the Japanese showed their new boat, and the Italians blew out their third spinnaker in two days.

Nothing changed at the front of the fleet. In normal breezes of 10-12 knots, it was still New Zealand, back with its new, radical model to lead by more than a minute before the race was called after five of eight legs of the America’s Cup course.

However, Ville de Paris skipper Marc Pajot claimed the meaningless victory because New Zealand’s snub nose with the bowsprit was about 20 feet over the starting line at the gun and failed to return.

“No question about that,” skipper Rod Davis admitted. “But in our effort to assess our boat, if we go back (to restart) we don’t learn anything, and that’s what these races are for.”

Next, by a few feet, came New Zealand’s older boat, sailed by Glen Sowry in the absence of the ailing Russell Coutts.

Then it was Nippon Challenge, Italy and Spain, with the older French boat and both Australians dropping out along the way.

Paul Cayard might have done better with the fourth Il Moro di Venezia--No. 5 stayed in the yard--but fell back after losing his spinnaker. Il Moro has been using the older end of its sail inventory for these races and planned to test by itself instead of racing today.

During a crowded rounding of the leeward mark, France’s older boat, skippered by Bertrand Pace, struck the stern of Peter Gilmour’s Spirit of Australia, causing enough damage that both boats withdrew and will be out for repairs the next two days.

The French later apologized to Spirit chief Iain Murray and offered to pay for repairs.

Syd Fischer’s Challenge Australia also pulled out with spinnaker problems.

Racing continues today.

Age of Russia has proposed a merger with Red Star ’92 to resolve their dispute about which Russian team belongs in the America’s Cup.

Age of Russia’s boat and crew are in San Diego, but only Red Star ’92 has been recognized by the America’s Cup Organizing Committee and has permission from the Port Security Committee to base in Mission Bay and sail in San Diego Bay.

Red Star ’92 officials say their boat, christened “White Nights” and built in the breakaway republic of Estonia on the Baltic Sea, will arrive by cargo plane Friday or possibly Saturday.

If that boat--which no outsider has seen--does arrive, Red Star ’92 will have no need to merge, and Age of Russia will lose its main leverage in its bid for recognition.

“I object to your term if ,” Jenik Radon, the New York-based legal counsel for Red Star ‘92, told a reporter.

Age of Russia representative Marina Kopel said in San Diego, “I’m waiting and watching.”

Radon said as soon as clearance is received the boat will be flown from the Tartu military air base, the only strip in Estonia large enough to accommodate the Antonov 124 transport. Paperwork may delay the departure, Redon said.

But if White Nights fails to reach San Diego by the middle of next week, a merger is more likely. All Cup boats must be in San Diego ready to be measured by Wednesday.

“We’re talking,” Kopel said. “Both teams want to see it happen. But it’s not a merger yet.”

Radon said, “That is not how I would describe it. They may be talking, but we aren’t.

“They approached us. We were surprised. If they pay us the damages that they’ve caused us . . . at times, it’s been very difficult for us, with them saying they were the legitimate challengers.”

Kopel said she had contacted Red Star ’92 leaders Oleg Larionov and Valentin Stepanov.

“We want to accomplish one thing: to sail,” she said. “Everything else is conversation. It’s not supposed to be politics or one team fighting another team from the same country. It’s about sportsmanship.”

The Age of Russia boat remains high on a cradle at the Knight & Carver Yacht Center on Mission Bay, apparently 10 days or more away from being ready to sail. Keel, mast, rudder, deck hardware--all of that needs to be attached, plus it needs a paint job.

“Our boat is painted,” Radon said.

Meanwhile, Le Defi Francais has offered the Russians the use of its first boat for training.

The Swedish Challenge, based at the Hyatt Islandia Hotel, hopes to put its boat in the water next week.

It will use a 225-ton capacity crane, the largest in San Diego, delivered from Los Angeles this week.

The boat, which has been sitting on the ground in a parking lot since its arrival last month, may rival Stars & Stripes or Ville de Paris II in an America’s Cup beauty contest. It is dark blue with lavish gold graphics on the rear third of the hull.

The Swedes, pressed by time and economics, were unable to get their boat ready for this week’s challenger practice races.

But skipper Gunnar Krantz said, “It’s so cold--just like home--that I didn’t mind. And if we get depressed we get on our bikes and go over to look at the Russian camp.”