Celebrities Sailing Into Town for Pre-Cup Hoopla

By all accounts, Jacques Chirac doesn’t know a jib from a jibe. But on Wednesday, when France’s former prime minister hopped lightly aboard the Ville de Paris, France’s 75-foot America’s Cup contender, he was greeted like one of the crew.

No wonder. Not long ago, when the cash-poor French syndicate was forced to sell its first boat in order to stay afloat, Chirac bailed them out, offering more than $6 million in public funds to build a second boat.

Chirac, now the mayor of Paris, is a non-sailor from a landlocked city. But on Wednesday, French skipper Marc Pajot made clear that Chirac was also his VIP--very important passenger.

“He is not so interested in sailing,” Pajot admitted. “He’s interested in a large project (to promote) the image of our country. The America’s Cup is really the image of what a country is able to do.”

The big contest--the America’s Cup regatta--is still a year away. But the celebrities have already come to town, meandering around the mainsails of the nine boats from six countries that are competing in the International America’s Cup Class World Championship.

They are drawn by the sleek boats, some whose masts alone cost $600,000. They are drawn by the thrill of competition--while the results of this dress rehearsal don’t count for much, plenty of patriotic strutting seems to be par for the 21.2-mile course.

But especially on Wednesday, another powerful force was helping to lure dignitaries to town: parties.

One was fancy, the other was frugal, but both Wednesday night affairs were sold out.

Anchorman Walter Cronkite hosted the IACC World Championship Ball at Coronado’s Tidelands Park. Dubbed “The World Sets Sail for San Diego,” the fete was expected to gather 1,200 people under an elegant circus tent to eat, greet and dance to the tunes of New York’s Peter Duchin and his orchestra, according to coordinator Linda Nicholas.

Aside from Chirac, several other famous guests were expected to show, including actress Ali McGraw (“She’s coming with one of the crew from America-3,” said Nicholas) and CNN magnate Ted Turner (With Jane Fonda? “It’s rumored, but nobody’s telling us. I won’t know ‘til I see her.”)

Italian billionaire Raul Gardini, who heads the stylish Il Moro de Venezia challenge, was also on the guest list, as was the man who brought the America’s Cup to San Diego, Dennis Conner, and his New Zealand arch rival Sir Michael Fay.

The gala--black-tie for all except the crew members, who were permitted to wear team dress--cost $225 a head.

Across the bay at the San Diego Yacht Club, meanwhile, more than 350 people were set to enjoy a “Poor Folks’ Ball.” For just $22.50--exactly one tenth the price of its ritzier rival--this shindig offered cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a sit-down chicken dinner and live music by a band called “Hot Pursuit.”

It also offered an alternative outlook. Instead of linen, the napkins were red and white checked. And printed on the Poor Folks’ invitations was this warning: “Sense of humor requested. No valet parking. No black ties and no formal attire.”

Ed Letzring, a San Diego Yacht Club member who organized the low-brow ball, said the idea struck him when he saw the IACC ball’s three-figure price tag.

“Just because you don’t want to spend that much money--or can’t--doesn’t mean you should be excluded from celebrating the Worlds,” he said, adding that his guest list includes 50 people from the Italian syndicate, 17 from the Spanish syndicate and a few Australians. “We just hope we didn’t offend anybody. This is just an alternative.”

At least one syndicate member applauded the San Diego Yacht Club’s attempt to bring a sailing celebration to the masses.

“I’m damn glad there’s a poor man’s ball,” she said. “It’s the San Diego Yacht Club taking care of all the America’s Cup enthusiasts, not just the people who can afford the ball.”

But Nicholas, the organizer of the IACC Ball, had this to say about her bargain-basement competition: “You get what you pay for.”