Lazy day in sun as wind stays away

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Team New Zealand weather guru Bob Rice keeps getting it right - but that doesn't always make everyone happy.

Rice, a laconic 68-year-old American meteorologist, knew last week that it was unlikely there would be an America's Cup race yesterday, when the winds again dodged the Hauraki Gulf.

"We got the diagnosis right again, but the patient died," he said.

Team New Zealand may be leading the best-of-nine final 3-0 over Prada, but the score with the weather is a draw - three days raced, three abandoned.

So will the weather be better tomorrow, for the next day of racing? "I don't think so ... but you can say that somewhere down the line it's bound to get better," said Rice.

"We'll get this thing over before July. Do you think I want to go home to the snow?"

The MetService agrees winds will remain generally light for the coming week.

Forecasters say tomorrow will be marginal for racing, possibly with south to southwest winds blowing 10 knots at most.

Winds could be a bit stronger on Thursday.

The idyllic summer conditions are the result of a stationary high pressure system sitting over central and northern New Zealand.

The MetService says it is not uncommon for this time of the year, although La Nina predictions had been for more unsettled, northeasterly weather.

Yesterday there was not enough heat to build a sea breeze, and the predominant southwesterly was not strong enough to make it from the city around the corner of North Head to the race course.

There was so little wind - rising and falling between zero and 9 knots - that even the postponement flags hung limp.

Team New Zealand, showing Kiwi ingenuity, built a canopy across the black boat to stay out of the sun while they waited.

Trimmer Simon Daubney said the awning, hung over the boom, made the three-hour wait almost pleasant. The guys lay back and read newspapers without getting sizzled in the heat.

The threat of no racing did not put off the spectators. A fleet of over 3000 boats - an armada unprecedented on Auckland waters - went out to sea in an orderly procession and caused surprisingly few problems.

The coastguard sent up a spotter plane to count the number of boats, and calculated 2950 within a one-mile radius of the racecourse. Others were still streaming out of the harbour.

Around 25 craft had to be towed back to the city, but there were no collisions or injuries.

Race director Harold Bennett, who copped flak for not holding a race in shifty, light winds last Thursday, got the agreement of both boats yesterday to call it a day.

It was, in fact, Prada who made the first move to go home before the 4 pm deadline.

Team New Zealand tactician Brad Butterworth said his crew were not too frustrated about yesterday's cancellation, now that they were on a roll after winning race three on Saturday.

"We are three up, so it's been good so far. We've got no complaints, not even with the weather," he said.

"I just wish I had shares in a bar down on the waterfront."