Weather won the day in New Zealand on Sunday, the fourth day of the 36th America’s Cup, with the America’s Cup Race Committee forced to call off racing due to the lack of wind.
The scoreboard between Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli remains tied at three wins apiece.
The forecast for Monday and Tuesday is promising with ENE 10-15 knots.
This delay will also allow regatta director Iain Murray the opportunity to move races 7 and 8 to a course nearer the America’s Cup Race Village, which has been opened again following the lowering of the Covid lockdown in Auckland to level 1.
Surrounded by a massive spectator fleet of over 1300 boats on the water, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were at times able to get up and sail after a tow up onto their foils by their chase boats.
But for both teams and spectators the wind was just below the consistent 6.5 knot wind speed needed to start race 7. Regatta director Iain Murray tried to get a race underway right up until 17:45, but the breeze just didn’t play ball.
The America’s Cup Race Village was packed with over 48.000 people in the balmy Sunday evening, and over 1300+ spectator boats were gathered once again around Race Course A.
So far all the AC36 racing has been held on the outer courses A and E, which in the light wind conditions to date have provided few passing opportunities.
The closest course to the Race Village is course C, which brings the racing right into the heart of Waitematā Harbour with viewing from multiple city vantage points.
The race time window between 16:00 – 18:00 local time is set for a typical March sea breeze to reliably establish itself across the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf racecourses.