Weather delays yacht race to Fiji

Photo / File

Bad weather has forced organisers to delay the start of a yacht race from Auckland to Fiji's Musket Cove by 24 hours.

The race was due to start today but the Musket Cove race committee and commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) decided the weather was too rough.

The wind was a consistent 40 knot north easterly on the start line and a steady 50 knots at Tutakaka, north of Whangarei.

Yacht squadron commodore Ross Masters said after talking with the Lieutenant Commander Simon Griffiths, the commanding officer of the navy's offshore patrol vessel, HMNZS Wellington, the only decision to be made was to delay the start by 24 hours.

Emirates Team New Zealand said it endorsed this decision.

"The forecast is such that the RNZYS has taken the safety of the fleet as its primary responsibility and has totally made the correct judgement," spokesman Grant Dalton said.

The forecast for tomorrow was a gentle 10 knots north east and the race would start at noon tomorrow.

- NZPA