Yachties agree to attempt racing Monday

For the third time, Race 4 of the America's Cup has been postponed due to insufficient and unstable wind. The teams have agreed, however, to attempt racing tomorrow on what had been scheduled as a layday. The Swiss challenger Alinghi lead the best-of-nine series 3.0 against cup defender Team New Zealand.

Continuous coverage of Monday's race will begin on nzherald.co.nz at 12.30pm.

Today's continuous commentary:

4.00pm - Race director Harold Bennett proposes to both teams that race tomorrow, which had been a scheduled layday. Team NZ and Alinghi agree, and also agree to abandon racing today. Wind has dropped to less than 4 knots at the start line.

3.50pm - The race committee is resetting the start line in preparation for a possible race start.

3.46pm - Alinghi set a Code 0 headsail and sail around the start area while Team NZ remain bareheaded in a shifty wind of 5-8 knots from 032deg.

3.26pm - Team NZ propose waiting until 4pm to reassess the wind, saying they suspect a southwesterly may develop by then.

3.21pm - Mike Drummond informs the race committee that Team NZ do not wish to start at 3.45pm "unless we see a dramatic change in the next five minutes". Drummond says the Team NZ weather team do not expect the breeze, which is currently very light, to last more than an hour.

3.20pm - Alinghi's Brad Butterworth tells the Committee that Alinghi agree to a late start.

3.16pm - Race director Harold Bennett proposes to the teams that they prepare to start racing at 3.45 or 3.50pm, which is later than the 3.30 automatic deadline after which the start is at the race director's discretion.

3.00pm - Both yachts are under sail as the 3.30pm deadline for a start approaches. The breeze at the start line is over 8 knots and has moved left to 034deg. Near the windward end of the course the wind remains light and patchy but is gradually filling in. If the race director does not start the race by 3.30pm, then racing can only begin today with the agreement of both teams.

2.00pm - Although the wind has risen to 7 knots at the Committee Boat, it remains unstable with shifts of up to 80 degrees. Race director Harold Bennett says he is waiting to see whether the wind will settle into a steady direction and a speed of at least 7 knots before announcing a start of racing. Both yachts are taking down their awnings and preparing to raise sail.

1.30pm - Racing remains postponed as crews wait for the wind.

1.05pm - Instead of firing the 10-minute gun, the Committee Boat hoists the postponement pennant, indicating there will be no race start on schedule at 1.15pm.

1.00pm - The wind is 4 knots at 020deg, under a partly cloudy sky. The crews aboard NZL82 and SUI64 are relaxing under their sun awnings.

12.45pm - Race director Harold Bennett reports that the wind "has gone really soft" on the Hauraki Gulf. The wind is a mere 3.8 knots at the Committee Boat, and cloudy skies have prevented the land from being heated enough to create a sea breeze. A start at 1.15pm appears unlikely, although it's possible there could be some breeze accompanying a change of tide later this afternoon.

11.55am - Race four of the 31st America's Cup is still in the hands of the weather.

Cup defenders Team New Zealand and challengers Alinghi left the Viaduct Harbour at 10am but have encountered a light northeasterly breeze of only 5-8 knots on the Hauraki Gulf.

Racing is still scheduled to begin at 1.15pm, although by midday neither boat had begun tuning up under sail.

The start line has been set close to the East Coast Bays with the first leg taking the yachts upwind towards Tiritiri Matangi island.

The weather is now becoming one of the main stories of the America's Cup with Race 4 postponed due to lack of wind last Thursday and again yesterday.

Racing is scheduled for days starting with S or T, so the next scheduled race days are Tuesday and Thursday.

With Races 2 and 3 having been decided by a total of just 30 seconds, Kiwi skipper Dean Barker and his team can take heart that they're not far off the pace. But Alinghi won't be giving anything away, and skipper Russell Coutts will be keen to press his advantage as hard as possible when racing resumes.

(Team New Zealand retired from Race One after suffering major gear problems early in the race.)

Last Thursday Bertrand Pacé was promoted from the helm of Team New Zealand's backup boat to the afterguard of race boat NZL82. But, thanks to the fickle weather, the Frenchman has yet to participate in his first America's Cup race.

Today's weather:

The forecast for the Hauraki Gulf, issued by MetService at 10.59am: Northeast 10 knots tending southeast 5 knots this evening. Sea slight. Cloudy with fair visibility in a few showers.

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: Enrico De Maria

Grinder: John Barnitt

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: -

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