Il Moro

SAN DIEGO -- Il Moro di Venezia of Italy yesterday defeated America3 by three seconds and won Race 2 of the 28th America's Cup by the smallest margin in cup history.The difference turned out to be a few feet of headsail, which Il Moro let balloon out above its bow as the boats surged side by side to the finish line.The activity at the finish was a proper cap for a day of aggressive, skillful sailing by Il Moro skipper Paul Cayard in XTC winds that ranged from seven to nine knots."I feel like we gave them some pretty good shots -- downwind and upwind with the slam dunk," said Cayard, whose winning time was 2 houurs, 46 minutes, 16 seconds.

SAN DIEGO -- A week ago, after America3 had lost the closest race in America's Cup history to Italy's Il Moro di Venezia, Bill Koch and his U.S. team were on the spot.The word was that they were inexperienced and couldn't handle the pressure of racing against a top-notch international crew.Yesterday, in Race 5, America3 handled the pressure nicely and sent Paul Cayard out of the 28th America's Cup with a 44-second victory.It was America3's third straight victory and gave it the best-of-seven series, 4-1."

SAN DIEGO -- Bill Koch spent some $65 million to get into the 1992 America's Cup, and one of the perks he has enjoyed is taking the helm of the U.S. defender for a while each race day.Yesterday, in Race 1 of the 28th America's Cup, Koch took the helm of America3 for a while and managed to make a race out of a budding runaway.America3 beat Paul Cayard and Il Moro, the Italian challenger, only because Cayard crossed the line early at the start and lost 30 seconds while restarting -- the exact margin at the end of the race.

SAN DIEGO -- Thirty minutes past three today, the starting gun for Race 5 of the America's Cup will sound, America3 will fine trim its grayish sails and begin a march into the wind.Less than three hours later, after eight legs and 20.03 nautical miles, it may come to pass that America3 crosses the finish line first and wins this international regatta.Il Moro di Venezia, the Italian challenger, trails the U.S. defender, 3-1, in the best-of-seven series. In the history of the cup, only Australia II has come back from such a deficit.

SAN DIEGO -- Thirty minutes past three today, the starting gun for Race 5 of the America's Cup will sound, America3 will fine trim its grayish sails and begin a march into the wind.Less than three hours later, after eight legs and 20.03 nautical miles, it may come to pass that America3 crosses the finish line first and wins this international regatta.Il Moro di Venezia, the Italian challenger, trails the U.S. defender, 3-1, in the best-of-seven series. In the history of the cup, only Australia II has come back from such a deficit.

SAN DIEGO -- A week ago, after America3 had lost the closest race in America's Cup history to Italy's Il Moro di Venezia, Bill Koch and his U.S. team were on the spot.The word was that they were inexperienced and couldn't handle the pressure of racing against a top-notch international crew.Yesterday, in Race 5, America3 handled the pressure nicely and sent Paul Cayard out of the 28th America's Cup with a 44-second victory.It was America3's third straight victory and gave it the best-of-seven series, 4-1."

SAN DIEGO -- America3, the U.S. defender in the 28th America's Cup, put together a second successive superb race and yesterday defeated Italy's Il Moro di Venezia to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.Only one boat in America's Cup history has come back from a 3-1 deficit -- Australia II, which won in 1983.But in that series, the challenger was clearly faster than the defender. In this series there is no question that America3 is far faster than Il Moro in anything but a zephyr."We are cautiously optimistic [that America3 will win Race 5 on Saturday]

SAN DIEGO -- After America3 crossed the finish line in the Pacific Ocean off Point Loma yesterday, Bill Koch left the wheel and made his way forward -- giving out high-fives, handshakes and hugs to his crew.America3, the U.S. defender, just had won Race 3 of the 28th America's Cup by 1 minute, 58 seconds.And Koch, whose group had been criticized for shoddy sailing and poor tactics in Race 2 on Sunday, had beaten Il Moro di Venezia, the Italian challenger, in every phase of the game."Our crew work was almost flawless, and our tactics were conservative and proper for these conditions," said Koch, who heads the America3 syndicate.

Il Moro di VeneziaThis Italian syndicate has a budget in excess of $60 million -- some say it is closer to $100 million -- thanks to the personal fortune of billionaire industrialist Raul Gardini.Il Moro also has the brains of skipper Paul Cayard, a San Franciscan who sailed for an American group in the 1987 America's Cup and later signed a $1 million deal to sail for the Italians.Cayard, a protege of the late Tom Blackaller, is a tough campaigner both on the water and in the protest room.

SAN DIEGO -- Sailing commentator Gary Jobson, who works for ESPN, which has -- er, had -- a ScubaCam in this America's Cup, was aboard America3, interviewing Buddy Melges and Bill Koch yesterday afternoon.At that point, the Italian challenger, Il Moro, was flying a protest flag and apparently interested in redress because its course had been obstructed during a rounding at the fifth mark.The obstruction was Bob Sloan, a diver who was operating ScubaCam and had drifted from his position inside the rounding buoy into the path of the oncoming boats.

SAN DIEGO -- America3, the U.S. defender in the 28th America's Cup, put together a second successive superb race and yesterday defeated Italy's Il Moro di Venezia to take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.Only one boat in America's Cup history has come back from a 3-1 deficit -- Australia II, which won in 1983.But in that series, the challenger was clearly faster than the defender. In this series there is no question that America3 is far faster than Il Moro in anything but a zephyr."We are cautiously optimistic [that America3 will win Race 5 on Saturday]

SAN DIEGO -- After America3 crossed the finish line in the Pacific Ocean off Point Loma yesterday, Bill Koch left the wheel and made his way forward -- giving out high-fives, handshakes and hugs to his crew.America3, the U.S. defender, just had won Race 3 of the 28th America's Cup by 1 minute, 58 seconds.And Koch, whose group had been criticized for shoddy sailing and poor tactics in Race 2 on Sunday, had beaten Il Moro di Venezia, the Italian challenger, in every phase of the game."Our crew work was almost flawless, and our tactics were conservative and proper for these conditions," said Koch, who heads the America3 syndicate.

SAN DIEGO -- Sailing commentator Gary Jobson, who works for ESPN, which has -- er, had -- a ScubaCam in this America's Cup, was aboard America3, interviewing Buddy Melges and Bill Koch yesterday afternoon.At that point, the Italian challenger, Il Moro, was flying a protest flag and apparently interested in redress because its course had been obstructed during a rounding at the fifth mark.The obstruction was Bob Sloan, a diver who was operating ScubaCam and had drifted from his position inside the rounding buoy into the path of the oncoming boats.

SAN DIEGO -- The primary skippers of the defender and the challenger in the 28th America's Cup offer an interesting contrast in sailing skills and attitudes.For starters, Buddy Melges, who does most of the sailing aboard the defender, America3, is 62; Il Moro skipper and project manager Paul Cayard is 32.Melges has been from the old school, Cayard from the brave new world of sailing.But the times have been changing for Melges. The cause of the change has been syndicate head Bill Koch's approach to the America's Cup.The tenets are talent, teamwork and technology -- and Melges is getting a full dose of each.

SAN DIEGO -- Il Moro di Venezia of Italy yesterday defeated America3 by three seconds and won Race 2 of the 28th America's Cup by the smallest margin in cup history.The difference turned out to be a few feet of headsail, which Il Moro let balloon out above its bow as the boats surged side by side to the finish line.The activity at the finish was a proper cap for a day of aggressive, skillful sailing by Il Moro skipper Paul Cayard in XTC winds that ranged from seven to nine knots."I feel like we gave them some pretty good shots -- downwind and upwind with the slam dunk," said Cayard, whose winning time was 2 houurs, 46 minutes, 16 seconds.

SAN DIEGO -- Bill Koch spent some $65 million to get into the 1992 America's Cup, and one of the perks he has enjoyed is taking the helm of the U.S. defender for a while each race day.Yesterday, in Race 1 of the 28th America's Cup, Koch took the helm of America3 for a while and managed to make a race out of a budding runaway.America3 beat Paul Cayard and Il Moro, the Italian challenger, only because Cayard crossed the line early at the start and lost 30 seconds while restarting -- the exact margin at the end of the race.

SAN DIEGO -- After nearly four months of elimination races and an expenditure of some $500 million, the America's Cup begins shortly after noon today in the Pacific Ocean.What once was a field of nine teams is down to two -- the challenger, Il Moro di Venezia, and the defender, America3.What has evolved through 163 elimination races now will be decided by a best-of-seven series sailed in the capricious winds and sloppy seas off Point Loma.If the winds are either light or heavy, the edge in the series should go to Il Moro.

SAN DIEGO -- After nearly four months of elimination races and an expenditure of some $500 million, the America's Cup begins shortly after noon today in the Pacific Ocean.What once was a field of nine teams is down to two -- the challenger, Il Moro di Venezia, and the defender, America3.What has evolved through 163 elimination races now will be decided by a best-of-seven series sailed in the capricious winds and sloppy seas off Point Loma.If the winds are either light or heavy, the edge in the series should go to Il Moro.