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Wednesday, August 9, 2000

By Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
New Zealand's High 5 finishes yesterday's
Kenwood Cup race off Waikiki.

Kenwood Cup
winner in doubt

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Star-Bulletin staff

Unofficially, New Zealand has retained its Kenwood Cup Hawaii International Offshore Racing Series title.

But an appeal situation has caused a delay in announcing the final winner.

Australia led the series going into the 10th and final race -- Monday night's 150-mile trek from Waikiki, past Molokai, to Maui and back to Waikiki.

New Zealand needed three of its yachts to beat Australia's three yachts to have a chance at defending the title.

Two New Zealand yachts -- Sea Hawk and High 5 -- defeated Australia's Fruit Machine and Yendys.

The appeal came about after New Zealand's Big Apple 3 and Australia's Smile responded to a Mayday call of USA's Cha-Ching, which had a broken mast and was headed into the cliffs of Molokai.

Big Apple 3's appeal has been heard, but Smile's appeal will be heard today at 9 a.m.

Smile would need to be lifted nine places in order to win, and race officials are calling that "nearly impossible."