Conner Forces Sailoff

The lone man on America3’s Mighty Mary botched the start of the race, allowing Dennis Conner to sail Stars & Stripes to a lopsided victory and force a sudden-death sailoff with Mighty Mary in the America’s Cup defender semifinals.

It was a welcome break for Conner, a three-time America’s Cup winner who had lost three straight races and whose victory over Mighty Mary last Tuesday was annulled because of an illegal mid-round keel change.

The latest race was the resail of the annulled race, in which Stars & Stripes built its lead on each of the first four legs, winning by 4 minutes, 49 seconds.