Switzerland’s Alinghi Red Bull Racing and France’s Orient Express Racing Team had their America’s Cup races in Barcelona postponed until Monday due to adverse weather conditions. Organizers cited dynamic and fast-moving weather, including rain showers and the threat of lightning, as reasons for the delay.
As the bottom two teams in the standings, Alinghi and Orient Express are competing for a chance to advance to the next round. Orient Express must defeat Britain’s INEOS Britannia and hope for a loss by Alinghi against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli of Italy to force a tiebreaker by equalizing points.
Orient Express faced a setback earlier in the day when their boat suffered structural damage from a nosedive during a practice run. The French team managed to make some repairs before the races were ultimately postponed on Sunday.
INEOS Britannia and NYYC American Magic secured places in the America’s Cup playoffs on Saturday, joining Luna Rossa as already qualified teams. The playoff series is set to commence on September 14 to determine the challenger for the Louis Vuitton Cup and secure a spot in the America’s Cup match against Emirates Team New Zealand in October. While New Zealand is participating in the initial phase, their races do not contribute to the standings.