Sailing: Law lagging in defence of Cup

CHRIS LAW has a difficult task ahead in the final six races of the round-robin series of the Omega Australia Cup if he is to reach the semi-finals in his defence of the title he won last year. In contrast, Rod Davis, an American living in New Zealand, is almost in cruise mode with a record of 11 wins and one loss from his 12 races in the waters off Matilda Bay.

'Our backs are to the wall and the pressure is on, but it isn't insurmountable,' Law said. 'I have good speed and a great crew, it is my own act that is out of gear. Even so, I had four good starts out of six today, which gives me confidence, so I am going to push it tomorrow.'

He had been unlucky to lose by one second to France's Thierry Peponnet and a hesitation on the start line handed victory to Davis in their match-up. The only blemish for Davis, a silver medallist in the Olympic Games in Barcelona, was against Peponnet in their second round-robin meeting. Davis had beaten him in the first round robin only to see the Frenchman awarded a re-sail because of a committee boat error.

Davis had won that one too, meaning that he had beaten every one of his opponents in the first round-robin. Peponnet's revenge was part of a comeback after he had scored only one win on the first day. He added four more yesterday, including the scalp of Davis, but is on the back foot when it comes to winning one of the three open semi-final slots.

Three men with seven wins hold joint second place, the Americans, Peter Isler and Ed Baird, and Roy Heiner of the Netherlands. Local hopes of an Australian making the cut rest on Peter Gilmour who, commenting on the course, said: 'I thought it was terrible yesterday, better today, and expect it to be brilliant tomorrow.'

OMEGA AUSTRALIA CUP (Fremantle): Round Robin 1: Flight 1 re-sail: R Davis (NZ) bt T Peponnet (Fr). Flight 7: Peponnet bt S Lissiman (Aus); R Heiner (Neth) bt M Holmberg (Swe); Davis bt P Isler (US); C Law (GB) bt G Lucas (Aus); P Gilmour (Aus) bt E Baird (US). Flight 8: Holmberg bt Lissiman; Isler bt Baird; Davis bt Gilmour; Peponnet bt Law; Heiner bt Lissiman. Flight 9: Peponnet bt Holmberg; Lucas bt Lissiman; Law bt Heiner; Isler bt Gilmour; Davis bt Baird. Round Robin 2: Flight 1: Isler bt Lissiman; Peponnet bt Davis; Gilmour bt Lucas; Baird bt Heiner; Law bt Holmberg. Flight 2: Isler bt Lucas; Davis bt Law; Peponnet bt Heiner; Baird bt Holmberg; Gilmour bt Lissiman. Flight 3: Davis bt Holmberg; Gilmour bt Law; Baird bt Lissiman; Heiner bt Isler; Lucas bt Peponnet. Standings (after 12 of 18 elimination races): 1 Davis 11 wins 1 loss; 2= Isler, Baird, Heiner 7, 5; 5= Law, Gilmour 6, 6; 7= Peponnet, Lucas 5, 7; 9= Holmberg, Lissiman 3 9.

Tom Ehman, who was the executive director of the 1992 America's Cup and is a member of San Diego's defence committee, is proposing a restructuring of the event. Ehman has written to all the interested parties suggesting that the Cup be shortened, has limits imposed on the number of yachts and sails each syndicate can use and is raced every other year. Ehman said he wants to create 'a much more friendly and public event'.