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VALENCIA, Spain - The seadog stories are exhausted, the sunbathing is losing its novelty value and the sailors are starting to go stir crazy as the wind fails to blow for the America's Cup day-in, day-out.
On Monday, racing was cancelled for a sixth day out of eight as the breeze fluttered well below the minimum seven knots (13km/h) needed to start.
While some of the America's Cup crowd are muttering darkly about why Valencia was chosen for this year's event -- ironically, because the sea breeze is usually very regular -- the crews are keeping their spirits up in the strangest ways.
"We had a mini table tennis tournament downstairs on the boat which was good," Victory Challenge grinder David Carr said after races were cancelled on Friday.
"We also had singing lessons held by the Swedes. They were teaching us to sing their Swedish drinking songs. We also sang a bit of Abba. That was fun. I think if there are many more days with not much wind we might turn into a pop band."
Out on BMW Oracle, syndicate head and multibillionaire Larry Ellison has been ordering take-away from his massive superyacht as it bobs away among the spectator boats, the team said.
A stash of chocolate ice creams was sped across to the crew and other competitors around the course last week, trumped a couple of days later by deliveries of sausage pizza, banana cake -- and more ice cream.
- REUTERS