The leg five start of the Volvo Ocean Race has been delayed until at least Tuesday due to the development of a potential supercyclone.
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Tropical Cyclone Pam has racked up winds of 200km/hr and could strengthen further as it heads south to New Zealand in the coming days.
Leg five, from Auckland to Itajai in Brazil, had been due to get underway at 14:00 local time on Sunday (05:00 UAE).
Organisers, however, took the decision on Thursday to delay the exit of the six-strong fleet from the City of Sails by at least a day.
It is hardly ideal preparation for the crews, who are already steadying themselves for what is renowned as the most daunting leg of the race.
The strongest winds, biggest waves, coldest seas and air temperature down to as low as three degrees are just some of the myriad of obstacles lying in wait for the sailors.
At 6,776 nautical miles, it I also the longest leg.
Weather forecasts suggest a grade five tropical cyclone could hit the area hard and, as a result, the earliest possible restart will take place on Monday, March 16, at 14:00 local time, although this is yet to be confirmed.
Check out the latest update on tropical cyclone Pam: http://t.co/jnK5ybmA8b #VOR pic.twitter.com/OJOJLwGelh
— Volvo Ocean Race (@volvooceanrace) March 12, 2015
Safety first was VOR CEO Knut Frostad’s stance on Thursday.
“We’re making this decision now because we don’t know the exact track of this tropical cyclone yet,” he said.
“It’s unusually big and essentially it’s blocking the road for our sailors, so it’s prudent seamanship from our side to leave them with options.”
Even if the cyclone misses New Zealand, big swells and rough seas could still cause real problems for the fleet.
“Our biggest concern is the sea state, rather than the wind,” continued Frostad.
“The boats can handle a lot of wind, but there will be very big waves along the New Zealand coast, with nowhere to hide.
“We are not going to have the boats leaving Auckland before 14:00 on Monday, but it could also be later. It depends completely on the movement of this tropical cyclone.”
Race organisers are tracking the cyclone’s development and a revised event schedule for Sunday, including confirmation of whether any sailing will take place, will be issued as the situation develops.
Despite the delay, a full departure ceremony including a mayoral handover and sailor’s parade will go ahead as planned on Sunday.
The New Zealand Herald In-Port Race Auckland will still take place as planned on Saturday, March 14, at 14:00 local time.
