It's Just Too Darn Windy

The America's Cup is all that Kiwis seem to be talking about these days, which is understandable as Emirates Team New Zealand is only two wins away from taking the cup. With today's racing being postponed due to the wind, we'll have to wait nervously for another day to see if the Kiwis will bring the America's Cup back to New Zealand.

It does seems strange to cancel racing due to the wind when the whole point of sailing is to have the wind power your boat forward. But sometimes it is just too darn windy to sail safely. British sailor Andrew (Bart) Simpson lost his life after being trapped underwater when the Swedish Artemis boat capsized during training in May. Following this tragic event, new safety recommendations, including wind limits, were put in place. The upper wind limit is 23 knots, however this is adjusted based upon other conditions. Due to the strong ebb tide today, the upper wind limit was set for 20.1 knots for the first race and 20.3 for the second. Unfortunately, the winds kicked up too high today and the racing was called off. Here's hoping the racing goes ahead tomorrow.