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Organisers confident of at least one America's Cup race today despite ever-changing conditions

March 16, 2021

The formerly deadlocked America’s Cup broke in the Kiwis’ favour yesterday, and they’re now hoping to capitalise on that momentum.

America's Cup race director Iain Murray is confident there will be sailing action today after a fan-friendly course was chosen for day five of finals, although it could only be one race if Auckland's unpredictable winds don't arrive in time.

Murray confirmed earlier today Course C has been chosen for today's racing, with Team New Zealand within reach of reclaiming the Auld Mug after taking a 5-3 lead in the first-to-seven series yesterday.

The race director admitted they were gambling with their selection off North Head in Devonport but forecasts suggest winds will pick up later today.

"We're going to the casino a little bit today. Putting everything on Course C," Murray said in the media briefing this morning.

"We seem to have an agreement from all the meteorologists that we're not going to see much until the south-wester turns up. Whether that's at 4pm or 5pm or hopefully before 6pm, we'll just go out there and wait.

"Before that it doesn't look like there will be sailable breeze from the north or the northeast, where it's pretty unstable. So we're going to set up for the south-wester and go where it's going to turn up first, which is Course C.

"There's nice breeze coming — it's just when. Tomorrow, it looks like a reasonable sort of day as well."

Murray told 1 NEWS after the briefing the conditions could mean only one race is played out today, meaning Kiwi fans would have to wait at least another day even if Team NZ were victorious this afternoon.

The window for completing two races in the Waitematā Harbour each day is tight, with both contests having to take place between 4 and 6pm.

"Hopefully it gets here at race time but it should get here then or slightly thereafter," Murray told 1 NEWS.

"Once we get past about 5.15, it's definitely only one race. But if we got away bang on time at 5, we might squeeze a second one in before our 6 o'clock limit."

Murray said despite the headaches the unpredictable weather in Auckland gives him and his organisers, he wouldn't have it any other way.

"It's great sailing out there," he said.

"It's challenging for the skippers and crews — it's not a cake walk like San Francisco where it's exactly the same thing every day and you get dialled into it. It's different here all the time and it changes quickly as we saw yesterday.

"It's what we say in sailing — keep you're head out of the boat."


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