Sailing: OneWorld to face Conner

It took everyone by surprise, but OneWorld Challenge announced that they will race Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes in the Louis Vuitton Cup quarter-final repêchage, starting on Saturday. They had been expected to pick Sweden's Victory Challenge or Prada of Italy.

The Italians were heavily tipped as they were thought to be the team most likely to improve and, therefore, to be the biggest threat in the bottom half of the semi-finals. If OneWorld beat Stars & Stripes, they will then meet Prada, assuming the Italians beat Victory Challenge. It means an all-American tie in one half of the draw and an all-European one in the other.

On Friday morning, each of the syndicates has to nominate which boat it will use.