Hawaiian Challenge for America’s Cup Planned

HONOLULU — A world-class yachtsman plans to challenge for the America’s Cup under the banner of the Waikiki Yacht Club, boosting hopes that Hawaii may one day play host to the prestigious race.

Peter Isler, who sailed with Dennis Conner in the last two America’s Cup campaigns, and Waikiki Yacht Club Commodore Rick Jaep made the announcement at a news conference Monday.

If a New York appeals court upholds a lower court decision that gave the cup away to a New Zealand club, American syndicates will have the right to challenge in 1992, Isler and Jaep said.

San Diego Would Host

If the ruling is voided, the San Diego Yacht Club will host the defense and Isler’s agreement with Waikiki Yacht Club will be canceled, they said.

Gov. John Waihee, who wants Hawaii to become a sailing mecca, said the agreement will be a boost for the islands.

Isler, 34, served as navigator aboard Stars & Stripes when Conner won the America’s Cup back from the Australians in 1987. He was also navigator aboard the high-tech Stars & Stripes catamaran when it defended the cup against a New Zealand yacht last year.

He is the top-ranked match racing skipper in the United States, a former winner of the Hawaii Transpac race and coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic sailing team.

Isler was most recently vice president of Dennis Conner Sports Inc. but broke ties with Conner to pursue the cup on his own.

‘U.S. Falling Behind’

“I saw teams from foreign nations moving forward and the U.S. falling behind over uncertainty” about the outcome of the court case, Isler said. “Waiting for a court decision would put us way behind the foreign teams.”

Isler, who was born in Honolulu and lives in San Diego, said he decided to sail for the Waikiki Yacht Club because Hawaii has shown a significant interest in yacht racing by its 1987 attempt to lure the America’s Cup race to island waters.

State officials have said the races could pump $1 billion into Hawaii’s economy.