Yachting: Beat the Bird

On the foredeck of Constellation racing off Newport, R.I., last week, several crewmen had an urgent command magic-markered on their right knees: "Beat the Bird." That was about the size of it. As the second series of America's Cup trials neared an end, anyone who hoped to defend the cup for the U.S. against Britain this September had to beat American Eagle and her brilliant skipper, Bill Cox. In six official races in the current series, the big new twelve-meter has defeated Constellation once, Nefertiti once, Columbia twice, Easterner twice. Her overall record in the first two series of trials: twelve victories, no losses.

Any way the New York Yacht Club selection committee wanted to lay the mark, Eagle was the superior boat, her crew the better crew. Only three times all summer has Cox lost a start; on rapid-fire tacking duels, his smoothly clicking crewmen usually pick up two or three seconds per tack (Cox started out with an intercom system to issue commands, has now dispensed with it because everyone has hand signals down pat). Cox makes the boat point higher and foot faster than any of her four rivals. In ten legs of windward work in the present series, she has gained a brisk total of 15 min. 24 sec. over her opponents; in 13 legs of off-the-wind sailing, her total gain has been 8 min. 59 sec., not quite so good but impressive enough.

The only boat that seems to stand a chance of plucking Eagle's tail feathers is Constellation, the other new twelve-meter. Under the command of Eric Ridder, Constellation lost her first three races against Eagle. But last week Relief Helmsman Bob Bavier, 46, a veteran blue-water sailor, took over, and Constellation led Eagle around the first two marks when the race was called on account of fog. On the strength of that performance, the Eagle eye is sure to be on Constellation in next month's final trials. But most of the experts are still giving the edge to Skipper Bill Cox.