By JULIE ASH
The French came to the Swedes' rescue yesterday after Victory Challenge broke their boom in the build-up to their race against Prada.
Fortunately for the Swedes, race organisers postponed yesterday's racing because of howling winds and choppy seas.
It was the second consecutive day on which racing in the
challenger series had been postponed.
The first day of the quarter-final repechage - featuring OneWorld against Team Dennis Conner and Victory Challenge against Prada - was postponed on Saturday because of light winds.
Just before yesterday's postponement announcement, the race committee ordered the competing yachts to drop their mainsails, expecting wind gusts above 26 knots.
But the message came too late for Sweden's Victory Challenge, who broke their boom.
The syndicate's chase boats were not carrying a spare, so an SOS was made to the French challenger, Le Defi Areva, who were eliminated after the quarter-finals.
The French obliged and raced a boom out to the Swedes.
Then racing was called off, giving the Swedes more time to fix the problem.
For racing to start in the challenger series, the wind must be between seven and 19 knots over a five-minute period.
And it must not exceed 23 knots over a five-minute period during the race.
Race organisers have predicted light five to 11-knot easterlies for today.
* Mascalzone Latino's Paolo Cian has joined Team Dennis Conner as helmsman of their B boat.
Cian helmed Mascalzone Latino's ITA72 for almost all their races in the first and second rounds.
The second Italian syndicate, formed by shipping billionaire Vincenzo Onorato, was the first team eliminated. A Conner syndicate spokesman said a B boat helmsman was required after sailing coach Glenn Bourke, who was helming the tune-up boat, returned to England to his job as chief executive of the Volvo Ocean Race.
Cup rules bar Cian from racing for the Americans in the remaining challenger races or the Cup itself.
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