General views of the America's Cup defender Emirates Team New Zealand headquarters Photo: PHOTOSPORT
There was no racing on the scheduled sixth day of the America's Cup challenger series off Barcelona because of stormy weather.
Wednesday's (NZ time) racing was cut short because of an electrical storm, and it was a similar situation on Thursday.
The beginning of September is very much a transition period in the weather, so Mediterranean storms are commonplace. With winds reportedly gusting up to 50 knots and a front heading towards Barcelona, the Race Committee made the call to abandon all racing.
Team New Zealand, competing in the round-robin part of the series, were scheduled to race Britannia of Great Britain and Orient Express of France.
On Wednesday there was a dramatic lightning strike just a few hundred metres ahead of the Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand on the final leg of their race and headed to the finish.
That race was abandoned immediately, and the AC75s - with full carbon masts and hulls - headed initially into the spectator fleet before fast-towing back to their bases in the Port Vell.
In addition to the cancellation of racing at the Louis Vuitton Cup, the decision was also taken to close the official race village on the Moll de la Fusta and all fanzones due to the forecast for heavy rain, squalls and the possibility of thunder and lightning around the Barcelona area.
Race director Iain Murray issued his intention to hold five races tomorrow, but has shuffled the order of the race schedule to ensure that competitors sail no more than two races in a day and that competitors do not sail in two consecutive races.
Murray expected the winds to shift round more southerly in the coming days to produce a good racing breeze of around eight to 12 knots.
