Yachting : Winged Keel Gets in the Way This Time; Magic Loses

Add one more virtue to the features of the celebrated winged keel: it makes a wonderful grappling hook.

Yacht Club Italiano’s Victory ‘83, steered by Flavio Scala with Lorenzo Bortolotti in command, won Sunday’s match race between America’s Cup contenders off Long Beach after rival Rod Davis snagged the committee boat’s anchor line at the start.

Davis’ 12-meter Magic towed the official craft about 100 yards up the course before bowman Jerry Kirby dived into the water and cut the line. By then, the Italians were well on their way to a 1-minute, 25-second win over their rivals from the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, who had won by 1:01 Saturday.

Both boats were early to the starting line, but Victory, in leeward position, was able to fall off and run the line until the gun. Magic had to tack and dip below the line in the other direction, and as Davis eased past the committee boat the keel hooked the anchor line.

“With a normal (fin) keel it wouldn’t have been a problem,” Davis said. “You live and learn. That’s why we’re out here.”

Kirby said: “It looked funny to see that committee boat take off after us.”

Magic spent the next four hours playing catch-up in the 10-to-15-knot winds and once got back within 1 1/2 boat lengths of Victory before dropping back again.

The committee wanted to abandon the race after the mishap, but Davis declined.

“That didn’t set well with us at all,” he said. “It would have shown favoritism. We ought to play the game.”

Davis called Bortolotti on his radio and they agreed to continue.

“We didn’t know what happened to Magic,” said Bortolotti, whose campaign boat Italia also will have a winged keel. “It’s something we must remember.”

The boats also have a three-race series scheduled over Memorial Day Weekend, while continuing to practice together daily.