AMERICA’S CUP ’92 : Red Star Finds Its Bridge Over Troubled Waters : Sailing: Political moves help syndicate gain access to a base on San Diego Bay.

SAN DIEGO — Some political maneuvering has gained the Red Star ’92 America’s Cup syndicate--the validated Russian challenge--permission to base in San Diego Bay. Now all it has to do is get its boat off the ground in Estonia.

The boat probably will be flown to San Diego on Sunday, according to John Sawicki, the group’s U.S. spokesman, and Chris Drake, the U.S. liaison who was in Tallinn, Estonia, on Friday.

The New Zealand syndicate is based at Sawicki’s waterfront property on Coronado, near the bridge. He said the Russians would have an acre next door.

“This is more than just an agreement for the Russians to sail on San Diego Bay,” Sawicki said. “This symbolizes the peace that now exists between the two countries.”

Because San Diego and Mission bays are considered one of 12 secured ports in the U.S., no vessels from nations considered hostile are permitted. However, the National Security Council advised the Port Security Committee that it had granted a one-time waiver to Red Star ’92.

“Based on the changing situation vis-a-vis the former Soviet Union, it was looked at again to see if the presence of this one vessel would present an unacceptable threat to national security and the decision was that it would not,” Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Dale, executive director of the Port Security Committee, said from Washington.

Sawicki said he and Larry Lawrence, owner of the Hotel del Coronado who has strong political connections, have been campaigning for seven weeks to get the waiver. They took their fight as high as Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft and U.S. Ambassador to Russia Robert Strauss along with, Sawicki said, “32 congressmen and 23 (U.S.) senators.”

“I just started calling those guys,” Sawicki said. “(Rep.) Duncan Hunter did a great job for us.

“Today is my birthday,” Sawicki said Friday. “I got a call at 4 a.m. that the waiver had been granted. What a birthday present. This is great for San Diego.”

Another Russian syndicate, Age of Russia, has been preparing its boat at the Knight & Carver Yacht Center on Mission Bay but lacks recognition from the America’s Cup Organizing Committee as a valid challenger and permission from the Port Security Committee to sail in either bay.

“It was silly for them to come here,” Sawicki said.

Age of Russia was hoping to gain validity by default, but that hope would vanish upon arrival of the Red Star boat.

Drake, speaking from Tallinn, said the Aeroflot Antonov 124 cargo plane that will carry the boat to San Diego was in Moscow on Friday but was expected to fly today to the military airfield at Tartu, Estonia, about a three-hour drive from Tallinn. The boat will be trucked to Tartu in a convoy of supplies.

There was no fixed itinerary. “It’s up to the crew when they’ll leave,” Drake said. “They know our deadline in San Diego.”

The boat must be in San Diego ready for official measurement by next Wednesday.

“I’ve got all the ducks in a row to be measurement-ready in less than 18 hours (after arrival),” Drake said.

Sen. Alan Cranston (D-Calif.) also issued an announcement: “Given the transformation in U.S.-Soviet relations and the near elimination of the Soviet military threat, to continue to place restrictions on Soviet/Russian boats--especially against a sailboat that seeks only to compete in an international sailing race--goes against the spirit of the America’s Cup competition.”

Cranston said the plane bringing the Red Star boat will return with 60 tons of humanitarian goods arranged by the private Oakland-based organization “To Russia With Love.”