I remember the Fay/Conner cup challenge as if it was yesterday.
I’m not sure about everyone else “out there”, but all the people sailing that I knew at that time were quite outraged when Fay came up with his challenge “out of left field” which, as everyone, with exception of Kiwi’s, thought (and most probably correctly believed), was designed purely to catch the USA (as represented by Conner on the west coast and the NYYC) with their proverbial “pants down”.
Mind you, after the dust had settled a little, there was also the underlying thought that the USA (as represented to all outside the USA by that nasty NYYC) PROBABLY deserved it more than just a little.
The following fully expected court farce that followed, firstly with Conner contesting the Fay challenge and failing, then Conner being challenged in court by Fay for his announced defence with, of all things unholy in sailing, A CAT, also failing, there were a very large percentage of the “traditional” sailing community, world wide, who just “turned off” and literally ignored the whole event. They seemed to regard it as nothing more than a tatty little side show conducted be two petulant people who for all their assets and age were acting on the world stage like two small boys having a “push and shove” sort of fight in the play ground after school over a bag of lollies.
Even today if I mention the Fay/Conner AC challenge to several older blue water sailers who were definitely around and active in sailing back then, they look at me with sincerity in their demeanour and say “I have no recollection of any such thing”.
I think the worst things that came out of that whole event was firstly, a total loss of any sort of respect for Fay for initiating the whole farce and secondly, the esteem that most sailers held Conner in before the event, dropped practically to zero. DC before that challenge may not have been universally liked, but world wide he was greatly respected for the champion sailer that he undoubtedly was. After that he was seen more as a competent sailer who would use ANY means at his disposal to win, whether fair or foul.