Battle of the giants is stymied again

Reuters

WAITING GAME: America's Cup defender Alinghi arrives back in port after race one was called off on Monday due to shifting wind conditions off the coast of Valencia.

Beclamed in the courts for 27 months, is the 33rd America's Cup now in danger of being stranded at sea?

That was the perturbing prospect facing race officials after Monday's frustrating false start to the Deed of Gift match between two-time defending champion Alinghi and United States challenger BMW Oracle Racing off Valencia.

Race one of the best-of-three match has been rescheduled to 10pm tonight (NZ time), weather permitting. But the vast distances needed to meet Deed of Gift race course rules makes finding stable winds at either end of a leg as long as 20 nautical miles (37 kilometres) difficult, especially in these unpredictable midwinter Mediterranean conditions.

After waiting nearly four hours and moving the course in an effort to find more consistent winds for the giant multihulls to play in on Monday, Aucklander Harold Bennett, the principal race officer, finally abandoned racing just before 2pm local time.

BMW Oracle Racing team meteorologist Chris Bedford believed it was the only option open to officials.

"We had a southerly breeze well offshore that was occasionally filtering into the start area, but closer to shore we had a westerly breeze for most of the afternoon. At times it was showing up to 14 knots at the top mark," Bedford said.

"So there was pressure [wind] trying to make it on to the course, but because of these two winds converging, we never had enough breeze over a 20-mile leg to get going. I think the race committee did a good job today."

Officials at least have time on their side with reserve days scheduled from February 14-25, although the waning appetite of sailing fans already turned off by a near three-year court battle will be sorely tested with every delay.

There is still a chance the fate of the Auld Mug could be decided inside the original time frame if one team can scoop the next two races, tonight's 40 nautical mile windward-leeward (20 to windward and 20 back to the finish line) and Friday's 39 nautical miler, to be contested around a equilateral triangle comprising three legs of 13 nautical miles each.

Tonight's forecast is for sea breezes after a strong blow was expected overnight.

"On Wednesday, I'm looking for quite a bit more seaway; we'll probably be getting some kind of a swell down from the northeast, along the coast," Bedford said.

Alinghi navigator Juan Vila said Monday's conditions weren't unexpected, although he remains upbeat about finding favourable breezes.

"We knew the conditions would be like this here. We can't count on every day being perfect to have a race," Vila said. "Today, unfortunately, wasn't, but I'm pretty sure we'll find another day to have a fair race. It's important that when the starting gun goes off it's a fair race for everyone."

Oracle's 10-strong crew on Monday included three New Zealanders – bowman Brad Webb, mastman Matthew Mason and jib trimmer Ross Halcrow.

Alinghi had six Kiwis in their 14-strong lineup – pitman Rodney Ardern, upwind trimmer Simon Daubney, mainsail trimmer Warwick Fleury, runner Murray Jones, pre-start strategist Peter Evans and tactician/skipper Brad Butterworth.

*Kent Gray, on assignment for Fairfax Media in Valencia, is the Editor of Boating New Zealand magazine.

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