Cup opener called off again

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The opening race of the 33rd America's Cup has again been postponed - this time due to rough weather off Valencia.

On Monday the first race of the best-of-three contest was postponed due to weak winds.

"There will be no racing today," a spokeswoman for the organisers said.

The race between America's Oracle and defending Swiss champions Alinghi - 20 nautical miles upwind and 20 back - had originally been set to start at 10 am local time. It was put back to 1pm as organisers waited for conditions to improve, but that failed to happen.

It is now scheduled to be held on Friday, the next scheduled racing day in accordance with the rules of the 159-year-old event.

"There are a lot of strong winds forecast overnight and offshore and that is going to throw up a swell. So it is more the sea-state that is going to be of concern," race director Harold Bennett said.

"I don't want to put the boats out there if they are not going to sail. I do not want to put them all the way out there and bring them back without a race."

Oracle is bidding to bring the cup back to the United States for the first time in 15 years. In 2003 Alinghi became the first European winner of sailing's oldest and most prestigious trophy at its first attempt.

The race has traditionally been run in monohulls but this year for the first time both sides will sail multihulls, that can sail at up to three times the speed of the wind.