The start of the series was postponed twice today. The race committee hoisted the answering pennant (postponement flag) in place of the warning signal at 1305 hours due to lack of wind. They lowered it 25 minutes later but then had to postpone during the pre-start due to a large left-hand wind shift of up to 20 degrees.

Oracle BMW Racing needs four wins to ensure advancement to the next round, but OneWorld will have to win five races. The American-flagged team from the Seattle Yacht Club starts the round with -1 points due to the most recent penalty from the America’s Cup Arbitration Panel.

Peter Holmberg of the U.S. Virgin Islands is on the helm of Oracle BMW’s USA-76 and is expected to remain there for the round. Skipper Chris Dickson had taken the helm twice during the recently completed semi final round against Alinghi, which Oracle BMW lost 4-0.

OneWorld’s Australian-born James Spithill is at the helm of USA-67.

The Hauraki Gulf is bathed in sunshine and temperatures are nearly 70 degrees Fahrenheit (20 Celsius). Some crewmembers are in shorts and tee-shirts with Christmas just days away.

First windward mark bearing to come.

Source: Event editor