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Crisis talks as winds disrupt cup
AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Louis Vuitton Cup organisers have held crisis talks with the America's Cup syndicates and the International Jury after the fourth successive day of racing was abandoned on Monday because of high winds. The whole schedule of the cup is now in jeopardy as Peter Reggio, the principal race officer, has only been able to run races on two days since the second round robin series started last Tuesday. Seven more races now need to be completed with just seven days of racing remaining, including reserve days, before the end of the series on November 4. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup goes on to race Team New Zealand for the America's Cup starting on February 15.
Reggio confirmed that unlike the first round robin, no races can be held over, as one team will be eliminated at the completion of the series. The remaining eight boats go forward to the quarterfinals, which start on November 12. All parties agree that the seven so-called "off" days between the end of the round robin and the start of the quarterfinals are sacrosanct. These days are to allow teams to reconfigure the boats. It is considered essential that the challengers still have time to develop the speed of their boats throughout the intense four months of knockout racing of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Yachting observers would not relish a repeat of Prada's 5-0 drubbing by the Kiwis in 2000. Reggio does have a provision in the sailing instructions for two races to be held in a single day over a shortened 12.5-mile course, but it is not clear when he can call this. Most of the teams are against two races in a day, particularly if they damage the boat in the first race and cannot sail in the second. The teams have agreed to have two races on the shortened course on Tuesday to make up the lost time, but want to revert to the single race per day after that. Reggio has asked for permission to run two races when he feels it is necessary and wants all parties to agree so that no team can appeal to the International Jury if they do not like the outcome. "I'm asking them (the Jury) to clarify within the conditions what the parameters are to use two races per day to catch up in the schedule or get ahead," said Reggio. "It's a matter of when can I do it. If that interpretation allows me to, there might be a chance to pick up races. It's their judgement." Reggio added: "We need all the flexibility we can get to get the round done." Since the start of the America's Cup challenger's elimination series on October 1, Reggio has lost nine race days out of 21, seven because of too much wind and two because of too little wind. The upper and lower wind speed limits in place for the LVC challenger elimination series have been set in order that the team eventually selected at the end of January has the best chance of beating the defender Team New Zealand. The upper limit of 19 knots at the start is in place to stop teams orienting their boats' performance towards heavier weather conditions that are unlikely to be encountered during the America's Cup Match in February when the mid-summer winds are much gentler. The lower limit of seven knots at the start is set so that the races do not turn into a lottery when large changes in wind speed and wind direction decide the outcome rather that the skill of the crew and the speed of the boat. Weather permitting, Tuesday will see Prada racing Le Defi; Alinghi against Mascalzone Latino; Team Dennis Conner up against Victory Challenge and Team GBR versus One World. Oracle BMW Racing has a bye. The second round of the day will see Oracle race against Team Dennis Conner, Team GBR against Le Defi, Alinghi against Prada and Mascalzone Latino against Victory Challenge. OneWorld has the bye.
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