America’s Cup challenger series semi-final set to be postponed with high winds forecast

Land Rover BAR picked up a valuable win in severe conditions on Tuesday
AFP/Getty Images
Marco Giacomelli7 June 2017

America’s Cup challenger series racing looks likely to be postponed as high winds continue to batter Bermuda.

Land Rover BAR picked up a valuable win in severe conditions on Wednesday after rivals Emirates Team New Zealand capsized at the race start.

British skipper Ben Ainslie likened controlling the foiling catamarans in such conditions to "skiing on ice", adding that he had to sail the boat at maximum speed and hope for the best.

The Kiwis hold a 3-1 lead in the first‑to-five semi-final play-off and look likely to get more time to fix their damaged boat ahead of the fifth race.

"We'll bounce back from this but right now we are still assessing the damage," New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling said.

"We were really thankful that no-one was hurt.

"We've all got a few cuts and bruises, but nothing major."

Winds of around 25 knots gusting to highs of 30 are expected during the course of the racing window on Wednesday.

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