Yachting: Challengers scrap to the end

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

No fancy cars, neighbourly goodwill or old acquaintances are going to help either Prada or Stars & Stripes win the scrap for the last berth in the America's Cup challenger final.

A sudden-death sail-off is looking more and more like deciding who will race AmericaOne in the Louis Vuitton Cup final, less than a fortnight away.

But no one is prepared to lie down for either syndicate's cause in the next two days. It's war on the water.

Stars & Stripes will have to race AmericaOne today, although Paul Cayard thought long and hard about whether it was worth risking his boat in a race they don't need to sail against his old '95 team.

Conner's crew can expect another bruiser with their friendly village neighbours America True in their final race tomorrow - the same as they got from them yesterday.

Prada have been promised a fight from Nippon today, even though the Japanese hopes of making the finals died yesterday with their loss to AmericaOne.

The jumpy Italians got no co-operation from fellow Europeans, Le Defi France, yesterday. But again, luck was on the side of Luna Rossa, winning by the length of the silver bullet when the French lost control of their boat at the finishline.

When asked whether there had been any solidarity between the European challengers, French senior crewman Luc Gellusseau smiled.

"We were surprised this morning to receive 16 Ferraris."

Unfortunately, he joked, there were no keys.

Okay, so there were no cars. But everyone knows all the money in the world is not going to get the $100 million Prada into the challenger final.

The Italians have six wins and one race to go. Stars & Stripes have five wins, with two races left.

Realistically, Prada have to beat Nippon today to stay in this regatta. A Stars & Stripes victory is even more crucial.

Prada have the resources; they have the undeniable boatspeed. Now it comes down to their mettle - and they admit they are nervous.

After the agony of losing to AmericaOne in a screaming match the day before - which had to take its toll on the sailors - Prada began by playing it safe with Le Defi on the slamming seas yesterday.

They were wrong if they thought the French would be sympathetic. On the first run, Sixieme Sens barrelled up the back of Luna Rossa and the yelling began again.

Prada could not get their spinnaker down for five minutes after rounding the mark, the French slipped ahead, but their lead didn't last long.

Sixieme Sens surfed in for another assault half a mile from the finishline, but broached as they were about to roll over the top of the Italians.

AmericaOne had to fight from behind to beat the rollercoaster Nippon team by 17s.

The Japanese despair was highlighted by their attempts to bail water out of the overflowing cockpit with a little bucket.

Nippon skipper Peter Gilmour praised his crew for their efforts of the last two years, despite falling short of the challenger finals for a third time.

The Nippon chairman Tatsumitsu Yamasaki stuck a note on the board for the crew yesterday morning. It read: "To beat AmericaOne you must be able to sail better than your best."

Said Gilmour: "I felt we sailed better than our best, but that still wasn't enough to beat them. They will be a very strong challenger finalist."