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The America’s Cup will start on Wednesday with two races a day
By Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ Mar 4 11:03 PM EST
March 5, 2021
Media Center under COVID Alert Level 2, Auckland, America’s Cup – February 2021 © Richard Gladwell / Sail-World.com
New Zealand’s prime minister has just announced that Auckland will lower a COVID alert level starting at 0600 on Sunday.
Auckland will go down to level 2 while the rest of New Zealand will be down to level 1.
An additional decision will be made next Friday whether Auckland will drop to Tier 1 over the weekend starting Saturday 13 March.
America’s Cup Event Ltd has announced that The highly anticipated Race 1 of the 36th Copa América match will begin shortly after 4 pm (NZT) on Wednesday, March 10 after the government announced today a reduction in alert levels.
Under COVID-19 Alert Level 2 or 1, the race schedule will remain as planned with two races per day: Wednesday 10th, Friday 12th, Saturday 13th, Sunday 14th, Monday 15th and every day after. The current calendar has races every day until Defender Emirates Team New Zealand or Challenger Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli reach 7 wins.
Any change in this schedule must be agreed between both teams.
Races below Level 2 will be restricted to sailing only at Racecourse A or E.
(Under COVID-19 Alert Level 1, all courses will become an option to compete again for the Race Director.)
Under Level 2, bars, cafes and restaurants and other outlets within the America’s Cup Race Village will open and operate within the guidelines of the Ministry of Health. Entertainment, LIVE races on the big screens and activations cannot work until we return to level 1.
A more elegant approach is to start the regatta on March 13 according to the original calendar with days off and spanning two weekends and the match concludes on Sunday March 21, and if it does not set sail every day from Monday, March 22 March.
The latter provision would make the Match less prone to turning into a dead tire due to a rollover or collision causing significant damage. It would require approval between the Challenger and the Defender as to the change of dates, which clearly has not happened.
If the match ends with a score of 7-0 or 7-1, and ends on Sunday March 14, it will equal the shortest multi-challenge America’s Cup since 1980, being a five-day regatta, the same as Fremantle in 1987, which was a best of seven series. Match 36 in Auckland is the best of 13 series.
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