Conner, Dennis W.
Yachting
b. Sept. 16, 1942, San Diego, CA
Someone once said that if a U. S. skipper ever lost the America's Cup, his head would replace the trophy at the New York Yacht Club. Conner did lose the cup, but he not only kept his head, he raced again and regained the trophy for the San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC).
Conner, who attended San Diego State University, won the Star Class world championship in 1971 and 1977 and finished second in 1978. He won the Congressional Cup in round-robin match race competition in 1973 and 1975, and in 1976 he was helmsman for the crew that won a bronze medal in the Tempest Class at the Olympics.
His first involvement in America's Cup competition came in 1976, when he was the helmsman for two boats in the preliminaries, but neither was chosen to defend the cup. However, Conner was skipper of Freedom in 1980, when she beat the challenger Australia in four of five races.
In 1983, Australia II won the America's Cup, defeating Liberty, skippered by Conner, in four of seven races. That ended the longest winning streak in the history of sports, 132 years, encompassing 25 challenges.
It seemed likely that Australia might hold the cup for a long time, since the defending crew benefits from experience of local waters and wind conditions. But Conner, now representing his own club, the SDYC, went to Australia in 1987 and regained the cup by guiding Stars and Stripes to a relatively easy four-race victory over Kookaburra.
New Zealand had planned to challenge in 1989, but the SDYC won a court ruling that the race should take place in 1988, when Conner skippered a new Stars and Stripes, a catamaran (two-hulled sailboat) to another easy victory over the poorly prepared challenger Kiwi.
In 1995, Conner won the America's Cup trials in yet another Stars & Stripes, but he wasn't happy with the vessel, so he elected to sail Young America to defend against New Zealand's Black Magic.
It was no contest. Black Magic won five straight races, all by comfortable margins.