With six out of eight days racing cancelled, chaos reigns at the America’s Cup

The 32nd America’s Cup is turning more farcical by the minute. Light conditions persist over Valencia’s waters, and racing has been cancelled on six out of the eight scheduled race days to date, with just three out of twenty-two flights sailed.

Round Robin One of the Louis Vuitton Cup is turning into groundhog day. After four consecutive days of cancelled racing, the regatta was effectively restarted last Friday 20 April. But with no racing on Saturday or yesterday, and a postponement ashore already signaled by the Race Committee this morning, Tuesday 24 April, the schedule looks likely to be upturned yet again.

The cause of this chaos is a significant high pressure system parked up over central Spain. The hordes who have made their way out to Valencia are less than impressed with the lack of action so far, James Boyd of the DailySail.com said: ‘Great beach weather. Great suntanning weather. Very marginal sailing weather.’

Bob Fisher, reporting from Valencia for Sail World, comments: ‘For one who is ‘trying to find lots of things not to do,’ Valencia is ideal, particularly if yacht racing is on the agenda. The official forecast from America’s Cup Management (ACM) for Tuesday was: “Warmer and less cloud, but less wind.” Any less and the heavens will have to suck. One feels sorry for the ‘celebrities’ that have been brought in for the ride in the 18th man seat. Theirs has been a dull and uncomfortable time.’

Five times America’s Cup sailor Paul Cayard, technical advisor to Spanish entry Desafio Espanol, doesn’t plan on spending any more time than necessary in the windless city: ‘For sure we are in trouble. I am going home to San Francisco. When the wind comes up, my friends are going to call me and I will come back. Actually, maybe I should go with a big suitcase and get some wind and bring it back from SF. I think things are going to deteriorate between America’s Cup Management and the challengers pretty quickly. Another day or two lost and the challengers will be in quite a bit of trouble with their schedule.’

Fisher, meanwhile, concludes that Valencia is a ridiculous venue for the Cup: ‘No one in their right mind would hold a regatta at a venue out of season, and no one has ever ventured to hold a regatta in Valencia in April.’ For his full report in SailWorld, click here 

Photo: sailing enthusiasts vote with their feet at the lengthy lack of action this week