Yachting: No wind? No worry

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Are the wind gods wearing red socks?

There are those who believe the further the America's Cup challenger final is drawn out, the more Team New Zealand will benefit when it comes to the Cup match in a fortnight.

With AmericaOne and Prada locked at 3-3 in the first-to-five Louis Vuitton Cup final, yesterday's race was abandoned when the wind failed to show. It was too overcast to let the sea breeze come in.

Three race days in the last nine have been canned because of Auckland's volatile weather.

Nippon skipper Peter Gilmour reckons the longer the challenger final drags out, the more exhausted the crews will get, physically and mentally - giving Team New Zealand an advantage.

But AmericaOne do not agree.

"There will be plenty of time before the Cup match to give the guys a break," the syndicate's chief operations officer, Bob Billingham said.

"Watching these close races, and how hard these guys are fighting, must be putting pressure on Team New Zealand. We'd rather be in our shoes."

If you believe in the weather forecasts, it does not look too promising for another few days either.

Today's predictions are for more of the same - a sniff of a breeze which could build if the clouds budge.

But AmericaOne have put a sign on their noticeboard warning the crew that tomorrow could be a blowout - they fear a front could bring winds of 25 knots.

The Americans were hoping to test their fixed mast tomorrow in back-up boat USA49.

The No 1 mast cracked when USA61 crashed off a wave last Saturday, but shore crew have reinforced it to use in the Cup match if their team make it.