Gale warnings have disrupted America's Cup racing on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf today and delayed the start of one of the country's classic coastal yacht races.
Louis Vuitton principal race officer Peter Reggio called off the third races of round two of the Louis Vuitton challenger series for the America's Cup todayahead of predicted 35-40 knot westerly gusts.
The gale warnings also delayed the start of the Lindauer Coastal Classic from Auckland to Russell.
The race has been run for 21 years and this year attracted 228 entries including two 1995 America's Cup class yachts, NZL40 and NZL41. NZL40 withdrew late night with other commitments.
Coastal Classic race organiser Joyce Talbot said they were hoping for the westerly to turn more to the south to give the fleet a good blow to Russell.
Race favourite, the John Hughes-skippered catamaran Slime, was expected to lead the fleet into Russell about eight hours after the midday start off Devonport Wharf.
Last year in similar conditions more than half the fleet pulled out of the 119-nautical mile race and Talbot said they decided to delay the start to avoid a repeat.
Reggio said the variable weather on the Hauraki Gulf would probably provide a small window to get a race started about the scheduled time of noon but there little chance of it finishing when the squalls hit, and racing was called off early today.
In the third races of round robin two Prada was to meet the French, Alinghi was against the second Italian challenge, Mascalzone Latino, Stars and Stripes was to meet the Swedish Victory Challenge, and British Wight Lightning was against OneWorld. Oracle had the bye.
