Coutts has 41st, but no 14th

Russell Coutts marked his 41st birthday today at the helm of Swiss America's Cup challenger Alinghi on the Hauraki Gulf.

The cancellation of racing due to light winds, however, deprived him of the chance to claim his 14th America's Cup win, and to beat the record set by Dennis Conner.

Alinghi lead the best-of-nine America's Cup series 4-0 and one more win will not only give Coutts a personal record, but mean the Cup goes to Europe for the first time in its 152-year history.

Team New Zealand need to win all five of the remaining races to keep the Cup in New Zealand. Yesterday, the cup defenders were forced to withdraw, for the second time in four races, after being dismasted during the second windward leg of the six-leg race.

Race 5 has been rescheduled to tomorrow at 1.15pm.


Here is today's continuous commentary:

3.20pm - The Committee Boat signals that racing will be abandoned due to winds of only 5-6 knots. The 5th Race of the 31st America's Cup is now rescheduled to tomorrow. This is the 27th lost day in 72 days of the Louis Vuitton Cup and America's Cup.

3.17pm - Principal Race Officer Harold Bennett tells the teams there will be no start before 3.30pm and asks whether they wish to wait for a possible start after 3.30pm. The teams respond that they do not wish to race after 3.30pm.

2.45pm - Racing is still postponed. The race committee have until 3.30pm to start the race, unless they obtain the approval of both teams.

1.05pm - Racing has been postponed as the committee waits for the sea breeze to fill in.

12.55pm - The wind is only 6 knots from the NE at the committee boat as principal race officer Harold Bennett waits for the sea breeze to fill in. The start is still scheduled for 1.15pm. Seas are slight.

12.40pm - Alinghi SUI64 and Team New Zealand NZL82 are under sail and tuning up for today's racing, which is expected to begin on schedule at 1.15pm.

12.30pm - Alinghi are on match point for the America's Cup today as skipper Russell Coutts celebrates his 41st birthday. If he wins Race Five, he will break Dennis Conner's record of 13 race wins in the America's Cup and in the process, take the event to Europe for the first time.

After the drama and shock of breaking their mast, Team New Zealand worked hard through the night to repair NZL82, which has been rigged with the mast from NZL81.

Trailing Alinghi 4–0 in the best-of-nine America's Cup match, Team New Zealand must win today to prolong the series.

Today's weather:

Forecast issued at 10.21am today by MetService, valid to midday Sunday, for the Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf: Northeast 10 knots, rising to 15 knots late tomorrow morning. Sea slight. Cloudy periods with fair visibility in occasional showers.

At 10.30am, the wind at Tiritiri Matangi island in the Hauraki Gulf was NE12.

Today's crews:

Team New Zealand NZL-82

Bowman: Jeremy Lomas

Mid Bowman: Matt Mitchell

Mastman: Nick Heron

Pitman: Jared Henderson

Runner/Pit: Barry McKay

Grinder: Jono Macbeth

Grinder: Rob Waddell

Grinder: Chris Ward

Trimmer: James Dagg

Trimmer: Grant Loretz

Mainsheet Trimmer: Tony Rae

Afterguard: Adam Beashel

Afterguard: Peter Evans

Afterguard: Bertrand Pace

Navigator: Mike Drummond

Skipper: Dean Barker

17th Person: -

Alinghi SUI-64

Foredeck: Dean Phipps

Foredeck: Curtis Blewett

Mastman: Francesco Rapetti

Pitman: Josh Belsky

Grinder: Kai Bjorn

Grinder: Will McCarthy

Genoa Trimmer: Simon Daubney

Trimmer: Richard Bouzaid

Grinder: Dominik Neidhart

Mainsail Traveller: Murray Jones

Mainsail Trimmer: Warwick Fleury

Grinder: Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyzen

Strategist: Jochen Schuemann

Navigator: Ernesto Bertarelli

Tactician: Brad Butterworth

Helmsman/Skipper: Russell Coutts

17th Person: -

Race 4: Pictures of the dismasting | Commentary

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