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Wind delays LV Cup quarterfinals
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (CNN) -- Strong winds on the Hauraki Gulf have led to the postponement of the quarter-finals in the Louis Vuitton Cup. Racing between the eight syndicates, fighting for the right to challenge Team New Zealand for the America's Cup next year, was due to begin on Tuesday, but was postponed until Wednesday. GBR will face Team Dennis Conner, top-ranked Swiss team Alinghi will race Italian team Prada, Swedish Victory will race bottom-ranked French syndicate Le Défi Areva and the two American heavyweights Oracle BMW Racing and OneWorld will face off. The teams have had a rest since the two round robins ended on November 1 with the elimination of the first team, Italian newcomer Mascalzone Latino. Alinghi skipper and twice winner of the America's Cup Russell Coutts said his team was looking forward to racing Prada, which failed to take the America's Cup from Team New Zealand, at the time skippered by Coutts, in 2000. "We don't know what boat they're going to be racing, but we do know that they've made changes to both of their boats and that's going to be interesting to see," Coutts said. Team Dennis Conner will race USA 77, the yacht that sank during training after a rudder broke off in Long Beach Harbour, California, in late July. Skipper Ken Read said: "This is what we always considered to be our race boat. With our slight mishap in California it set us back a bit, of course, but we've worked really hard. "The boat builders and shore crew have worked really hard to where we're quite comfortable with it now and comfortable that it does have an edge over USA 66, therefore it became an easy decision." The pairs will race a best-of-seven series.
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