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Alinghi 5 in in Valencia - Source: Photosport -
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Frustration is the watchword at the 33rd America's Cup here in Valencia, and it is frustration at many levels.
First up is the frustration of not being able to see these extraordinary yachts out racing.
For all that we have arrived at this state by default, the fact is Oracle's tri and Alinghi's cat have rightly captured the imagination.
I had the exceptional thrill of going on the water to watch the tri close up and it was utterly stunning, gobsmacking stuff.
Watching it lift two hulls out of the water and power up was one of the most amazing sights I've ever seen.
I don't know why it is that when people see something utterly fantastic their first instinct is to laugh out loud at the sheer excitement of it.
The chase boat I was on howled with laughter.
There were some grizzly old hacks on board including an elderly Frenchman who just kept shouting out: "Incroyable! Incroyable!"
A veteran photographer, with an indelible Cheshire cat grin, said it was the best day he'd had in ten years, although part of that might have been the money he was about to make selling exclusive shots of Oracle boss Larry Ellison at the helm.
As for the figures: towards the end of the run the water was glassy, mill-pond calm.
The Oracle tender advised us over the radio they were recording 2 knots of windspeed at water level.
We were tracking alongside Oracle for mile after mile at a steady 20 knots.
And as I've had to explain before, that is not a typo.
Further out to sea Alinghi was going through its paces too, colleagues alongside vouching for similar figures. Hence the frustration at the lack of racing.
On race day one it was understandable; there simply wasn't any wind.
Then there was the frustration of the scheduled lay day ironically and perversely offering up great sailing conditions.
Race day two looked great as well and when the racing was canned the frustration and questions were getting darker.
Yachting folk are muttering and asking which these huge machines are not out racing in conditions that ordinary yachties would thoroughly enjoy.
Two days have been lost now and there's more frustration that there's another lay day which could be used and which will again probably offer up acceptable weather and sea state.
There's also frustration at the damage this is doing to our sport&again. It makes the whole game look ridiculous.
We live in hope that when this edition of the Cup is eventually over then there might be some kind of regeneration for the oldest trophy in international sport. It has happened before and we live in hope.
First, though, we want to see these mighty machines head to head. It will be an astonishing spectacle. I just hope I can stay here long enough to see it.
