Yachting: Fickle winds prove winner off Malmo

Fickle conditions proved the winner on the first day of fleet-racing in a pre-America's Cup yachting regatta in Sweden overnight (NZ time).

The first of the day's two scheduled races was held in a shifting light breezes of two to three knots off Malmo and produced lead changes almost by the minute.

The latter stages became a battle against the clock, which BMW Oracle won with just seconds to go before the 40-minute time limit expired.

Team New Zealand, who had been in front entering the final run, finished fourth among the 12-strong field.

Race two failed to produce a result, having to be abandoned when the time limit was reached.

Team NZ managing director and crew member Grant Dalton said he couldn't fault the work on board NZL82 in soft and fickle conditions.

"There were no certainties out there," he said of race one.

"We were 3 minutes 41 seconds ahead of USA76 at the third mark. They won. We were something like 8 minutes behind them at the finish."

Five fleet races are scheduled over three days in what has been dubbed Louis Vuitton Act 7, part of the lead-up to the 2007 America's Cup.

- NZPA