America's Cup: Critics get last laugh
26/01/2024 02:15
The America's Cup Defender Team New Zealand was widely criticized for their decision to hold a preliminary regatta in Saudi Arabia. Their choice of overlooking the Kingdom's oppressive policies to gain hosting fees did not sit well with everyone, but now it appears the critics are getting the last laugh.
War in the Middle East – where Houthi militants are attacking ships linked to Israel in response to that country's attacks on Gaza – has stalled progress for Team New Zealand's AC40 which is held up by shipping delays in the Red Sea.
While the Defender still has a testing boat in Auckland, the delay does impact the training for their teams competing in the Youth and Women's America's Cup. As a result of delays in getting the boat out of Jeddah, the crews would be getting on the water later than they had anticipated, with appears to be in March…
