Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Both syndicates were more than happy to abandon racing on the first day of the 33rd America's Cup.

Unreliable winds off Valencia forced a postponement until tomorrow night of the much-anticipated showdown between defender Alinghi and challenger BMW Oracle.

Wrangling over the rules resulted in two multi-hull boats sailing against each other for the first time in the event's 159-year history.... of course in 1988, U.S. catamaran Stars & Stripes beat New Zealand monohull KZ-1 off San Diego.

Alinghi's catamaran and Oracle's trimaran are both capable of extraordinary speeds, more than twice as fast as the wind but are more fragile than traditional craft in heavier conditions.

Despite week's of anticipation, Alinghi's navigator Juan Vila says it was the right decision to delay the start of the regatta.