The need for speed

Regatta comes off the foils

It brought back memories of that infamous race in San Francisco in 2013.

ThePrada Christmas Race regatta ended with a whimper yesterday, as a lack of wind meant no races could be completed.

Only the first semifinal between Team New Zealand and Ineos Team UK was started, but that race exceeded the 45-minute time limit and was abandoned.

It was close – Te Rehutai were within a few hundred metres of crossing the finish line – but it was a frustrating final leg as the breeze dropped to three or four knots.

The Team New Zealand boat took 27 minutes to complete the final 3.3km leg, after zipping through the first three in 19 minutes.

It brought back memories of that infamous race in San Francisco in 2013, when Team New Zealand were denied a chance to win the America’s Cup as they agonisingly ran out of time, though there was nothing at stake yesterday.

All four teams then waited out on the water, before racing was finally abandoned at 5:45pm.

It was a difficult day. The forecast was always touch and go, and it was around seven knots for the start of the first race, before gradually fading.

Wind issues are nothing new in Auckland.

In the 2003 America’s Cup match there was a nine-day period between the third and fourth races with no racing, due to either not enough or too much breeze.

But yesterday’s events will provoke some debate, as few would want a repeat of the weird scenes.

The contest between Team New Zealand and Ineos Team UK turned into a bit of a farce, as both boats were almost becalmed, unable to get up on their foils.

It was a novelty on Sunday, turning into a displacement race as neither yacht could take flight, and the crews saw the funny side.

But it is not something anybody would want to see again, especially in the search for a new worldwide audience.

Compared to past Cup regattas, the boats were still travelling at a reasonable clip, but our perceptions have changed. Everyone is still learning about this class and it is dangerous to draw conclusions from just one race.

The wind limits will be debated by public and media but are unlikely to be changed.

Any alterations will require an alteration to the race conditions, which need to be agreed by the challenger of record and the defender.

Luna Rossa skipper Max Sirena made it clear that he would not be pushing for a change, while Team New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling felt it was complex issue.

“[Yesterday] if the wind limit was higher we would have sat there, tied to a chase boat all day,” said Burling. “I don’t think that is what people want to see as yacht racing.”

The wind limits for the upcoming Prada Cup round robin and semifinal stage are from 6.5 to 21 knots. For the final the upper limit extends to 23 knots.

The race time limit is 45 minutes while the first leg has to be completed within 12 minutes.