Louis Vuitton Racing Cancelled due to Adverse Weather

Cathy Vercoe LuvMyBoat.com

The Race Committee of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland this evening announced that all the matches scheduled for tomorrow will be cancelled due to the adverse weather conditions predicted. The Azzurra team of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda will be able to take a day of rest before the next flights of the round robins.

The tail of the cold front that swept over Auckland in the late afternoon will carry strong winds from the SW which will gust to 30-plus knots. The two 2007-generation America's Cup boats NZL 84 and NZL 92 provided by the organizers for this event will have to withstand the wear and tear of over 55 matches to reach the end of the Louis Vuitton Trophy which includes one round robin, semifinals and finals.

The decision to cancel tomorrow's racing is probably dictated not only by the difficulty and risk of match racing on these boats with very strong winds, but also by the need to keep the boats, equipment and sails intact as much as possible.

Racing will resume on Saturday March 13, weather permitting. The Azzurra team will face the Swedes of Artemis, led by celebrated skipper Paul Cayard from the US.

Information from Team Azzurra