America's Cup 2021: Luna Rossa hit foiling issues ahead of race three

Race three of the America's Cup is expected to get underway on time despite a delay caused by a private boat refusing to move from the course.

Water management have told Newstalk ZB "a private vessel on the race course is refusing to move".

The pre-race drama comes as Luna Rossa appeared to be struggling with the low winds on the Hauraki Gulf this afternoon, with the team's AC75 struggling to get foiling.

While Team New Zealand were able to get flying, the Italians have been working on resolving exactly what their issue is, with racing scheduled to begin at 4:15pm this afternoon.

Speaking on the TVNZ broadcast, American Magic helmsman Dean Barker said it was clearly more than a small problem they were dealing with.

"Clearly they must have some sort of issue because they would be right into it right now. It doesn't sound like they're changing sails; it seems like they've got a genuine issue – who knows what exactly is the problem, but clearly, they're working on something that is probably a little bit more than a small issue," he said.

"Let's just hope two boats turn up on the start line because we want to see a contest."

While sailing is expected to start soon, the Italian could be given a reprieve by the light and inconsistent winds, however, winds are shaping up to be slightly higher than anticipated.

- More to come.

Heading into the Cup racing?

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