KEY POINTS:
America's Cup veteran Paul Cayard says Alinghi are probably "smiling" watching the circus the challenger series has become.
In eight days of racing only three of 22 flights in the round robin competition have been completed.
Racing was again abandoned overnight. There was only a faint hope that there would be some competition when the fleet left the dock, but the breeze never exceeded seven knots and the race committee called a postponement after a two-hour wait.
Round one and two will now run back-to-back with no break and the gap between the round robin and the semifinals has also been reduced.
The challengers were keen to move the start date of the semifinals back but America's Cup Management (ACM), the body which Alinghi set up to run both the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America's Cup match, said no.
"This is the first Louis Vuitton Cup that has been run by the defender," Cayard said.
"All the other Louis Vuitton Cups, as challengers we have had our own Challenger of Record committee, we ran the races ourselves.
"Now we have a situation where ACM are saying 'we did all our homework, Valencia was a good place and it was okay in April. It is a bad coincidence there is no wind. We are sorry'. That is true.
"But now the challengers have said 'we have to reorganise ourselves and do the best we can for our regatta. Can you help us?'
"What's their answer? 'No'. That's the bad thing."
Cayard, who has competed in five cups, said the situation was tough on all the challengers, especially as the series was already very compressed.
"My guess is it is harder on the small teams than the big teams.
"Once you race and absorb what's going on and you understand how your performance is relative to your competitors you start to get some ideas and you want to make some changes to your boat.
"That is really hard for the small teams to do and easier for the big teams, who have a good second boat and can substitute boats. They can do a lot of things to keep the evolution and development going that the small teams can't."
The reduced break between the round robins and semis will also pile on the pressure for the fancied boats.
"They are going to be hustling in those four days that are supposed to be off and it might not even be four days because ACM refuses to move the semifinals.
"It is not good for anyone except maybe Alinghi. They will probably be smiling," said Cayard, who is in Valencia commentating.
However, the insufficient shifty wind will also be affecting Alinghi's testing and training programme.
"If the whole game stopped, who is it who would win the America's Cup?" Cayard asks.
Alinghi.
- with NZPA
