Sailing: Light winds force fresh delay to fourth Cup race

Stuart Alexander
Monday 24 February 2003 01:00 GMT
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Both teams in the America's Cup played a game of "no, after you" when it came to calling off their scheduled encounter here yesterday before the principal race officer, Harold Bennett, came to the rescue, asking the defender, Team New Zealand and the challenger, Alinghi of Switzerland, to agree to his proposal to abandon the exercise.

This was the third time that race four of America's Cup XXXI has had to be postponed, as there was also too little breeze on Thursday and Saturday, and plans to try again today have already been shelved.

TNZ, who trail their rivals 0-3, cannot afford to risk a fourth defeat in conditions that could make the 18.5-mile, six-leg course a lottery as a wind strength of well under 10 knots does not seem to suit their yacht's performance characteristics.

The teams agreed to review the race schedule. While the fourth attempt to start race four could continue to be problematic, more breeze is forecast for later in the week.

The Italian fashion house owner, Patrizio Bertelli, took advantage of the lull to announce that his Prada syndicate, which won the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000 but was then beaten 5-0 by TNZ in the America's Cup, will not challenge next time. All the boats and equipment are for sale.

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