2.30pm
LONG BEACH, California - A $10 million America's Cup yacht built just two months ago for Dennis Conner sank off California this morning.
The 24-metre yacht, christened Stars & Stripes USA-77 on May 26, sank in 16.5m of water about 8.10am (NZT) today. Only a portion of the mast can
be seen above the water.
The yacht, the second of two built this year for Conner's Cup campaign, was likely to have been the team's choice for the Cup trials which start in Auckland on October 1.
A Stars and Stripes spokeswoman said the crew were doing routine testing about 1.6km off Long Beach when the rudder broke and the water came in so fast that the pumps and air bags could not keep up.
Four crew members were rescued from the yacht which sank in about four minutes.
Conner was not aboard USA-77 when it got into trouble but had gone with salvage crews who were using a crane and air bags to raise the boat and tow it into the Long Beach Marina.
- REUTERS, HERALD STAFF
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
