America’s Cup opening day postponed

The opening day of the 35^th America’s Cup has been postponed until Saturday, 27^th May, organisers have announced.

Due to strong winds in Bermuda, the America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA) and America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM) decided to postpone day one of the America’s Cup Qualifiers, and the official opening ceremony. It has been forecast that winds may reach over 30 knots during the afternoon and evening, according to a press release from the America’s Cup, and the safety of both sailors and spectators is the key priority.

Sir Russell Coutts, CEO of the ACEA commented, “We are obviously disappointed that the strong winds mean we have had to postpone day one of the 35^th America’s Cup. This is clearly a decision we have not taken lightly and appreciate the inconvenience caused to the sellout crowd. Our primary concern however, is always safety for everyone involved in the America’s Cup.

We are adding an hour to the race window on both Saturday and Sunday to run extra races with the aim of getting back on schedule. There are still tickets available at the weekend, although not in all categories, so we are hoping Friday’s ticket holders will still get the chance to enjoy what should have been an incredible opening weekend.”

The official opening ceremony will now take place on Saturday, 27^th May at 8.30pm, with a performance from Grammy award-winner Wyclef Jean in the America’s Cup Village. Gates will open at 11.30am on Saturday, before racing starts at 2pm until 5pm.

For more information, visit America’s Cup.