Five Straight For Conner

Backed by a huge wind shift, Dennis Conner sailed Stars & Stripes to its fifth straight victory in the America’s Cup defender trials, beating America3’s allwomen team by 4 minutes, 45 seconds.

The race was relatively close until the windward fifth leg, when the wind shifted to the left side of the course and Stars & Stripes shot from 40 seconds ahead to a margin of 2 minutes, 50 seconds.

Conner, a three-time America’s Cup winner, hasn’t lost since Jan. 19, when Young America routed Stars & Stripes by 5 minutes.