Yachting: Broken mast has Swiss on canvas

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

It was the mast that broke the camel's back.

The Swiss America's Cup syndicate, who have endured a rough ride over the last two years, last night looked as though they will be going home before the third round of the Louis Vuitton Cup is over.

Fourteen hours after one crisis over money was resolved, the mast on the Be Happy boat snapped in the middle of the Hauraki Gulf, more than likely breaking up the campaign.

The luckless Swiss limped back to port yesterday, knowing they have just one mast in their repertoire.

Then their opponents from Spain, in an act of compassion, offered them a spare mast so the wooden-spooners could carry on in the regatta.

But the Spanish did not realise the implications of handing over one country's technology to another - a big no-no in the America's Cup deed of gift.

Swiss skipper Marc Pajot does not want to give up yet. Last night he planned to ask all the other cup syndicates, including defenders Team New Zealand, if they would agree to let his team use someone else's rig.

The agreement must be unanimous, and the feeling around the Cup village last night was that it would not be.

Nippon skipper Peter Gilmour summed it up: "Nippon's view would be one of compassion. However the rule over where something is designed and built is a fundamental plank under which this whole America's Cup is built.

"I don't think the other syndicates can waive the deed of gift."

Pajot went to the jury room last night to ask for time to sort out his dilemma and to see if the mast could be adapted to fit the yellow boat.

The jury determined that the boat was not fit to race today (so Young America pick up nine points), but the race committee would not grant Fast2000 a 48-hour delay.

There are other options open to the Swiss, but it begins to get drawn-out and messy. They could still try to patch up their mast, but it is broken in two places.

The question has to be asked: is it really worth the hassle for a team coming last in the series to try to finish seven more races?

When the Swiss boat docked yesterday, Pajot believed it was.

"I don't want to give up today if there's a chance to find a solution," he said. "Maybe we made the wrong decision to have two keels and one mast, instead of one keel and two masts. I guess we don't need the open roof on our shed for the mast any more."

The crew wore resigned smiles and shrugs when the boat, covered in wreckage, returned to the base. No one had any idea why the mast had snapped like crisp celery.

"There are no fingerprints here," Pajot said. "We were behind the Spanish boat and it was blowing hard - about 20 knots. The boat was fine, the mainsheet trimmer had just said 'nice set-up, nice trim' Then it broke."

No one was hurt.

The campaign was in jeopardy the day before, when frustrated crew waited for a month's pay, with no guarantee that there would be any money for December's efforts.

But just before midnight,the crew were assured by the head of watchmakers Audemar Piguet, Georges-Henry Meylan, that he would take responsibility for their pay for the rest of the regatta.

Last night, Meylan threw an open party at the base and gave all the crew watches. It may have been their farewell party.