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6:16pm - Sir Ben Ainslie suggests his team will still come out to race tomorrow ONLY if the weather conditions aren't too risky. There's no point risking the wellbeing of his boat for a dead rubber.
But conditions tomorrow are for winds above 20 knots, so we may not see any racing. Would be interesting to hear Jimmy Spithill's attitude to racing tomorrow, given Luna Rossa has nothing to gain either.
Round robin 3, Race 3
American Magic v Luna Rossa
Start - All eyes are now on the Italians, with two minutes until their start. They've entered the start box from starboard.
Jimmy Spithill sounds pretty relaxed about this formality. There's nothing in this for them, with their chances of making the final now consigned to the semis.
Luna Rossa turn into the start-line, umpires award the race to the Italians.
The only remaining question is will Luna Rossa and Team UK race tomorrow in the dead rubber.
Round robin 3, Race 1
Team UK v American Magic
Team UK win by default
Start - Team UK have entered the start box for their scheduled race against American Magic, who - of course - are unable to front, after their crash last Sunday.
Britannia is way right and heading back to the line - they'll hope to hit the line at top speed.
Nice start and the umpires have duly awarded the race to GBR.
Next up, Luna Rossa will perform the same ritual.
Round robin 3, Race 2
Luna Rossa v Team UK
Team UK win by 33 seconds
Leg six - On the final leg, it's a drag race, with the Brits achieving 44 knots. They reach the left boundary and jibe back.
Team UK just cross ahead by 50m. Luna Rossa continue left, then jibe back to centre.
Team UK have a 100m lead, but Luna Rossa eating into it. They cross, Team UK 30m ahead, but there's a protest.
No penalty.
Team UK take out the race, Luna Rossa are trying to flop and draw a penalty, but eventually cross 33 seconds back.
That means the British only need to start their 'ghost race' against the absent American Magic to progress to the Prada Cup final unbeaten, continuing their incredibly comeback from pre-Christmas mediocrity.
Leg five - Team UK head left and Luna Rossa eventually follow, after initially heading right. The margin is now below 100m.
Team UK reach the left boundary and tack back, they cross 30m behind, but seem to have the lead as they continue right.
The Brits seem to be 80m ahead now, as they tack and cross. Luna Rossa reach the right boundary and follow.
The margin is now 100m, as Team UK lay for the top mark. They round the right mark ahead, but only by a second, as Luna Ross go left.
Leg four - Luna Rossa's lead now just under 250m, but Team UK has hit 46 knots downwind.
Team UK jibe back towards centre and cross about 150m behind. They are achieving better speed downwind.
Luna Rossa reach the bottom mark first, but have lost nine seconds of their lead.
Leg three - Luna Rossa heading left, Team UK cross underneath - they're about 120m behind.
The Brits heading way right, Luna Rossa have tacked back from the left, so they should cross again.
The Italians tack and are now in phase with Team UK, 150m ahead. Both now heading left.
Team UK tack right and split - they're now 250m back.
Luna Rossa have made up a nine-second deficit to put 19 seconds on the Brits.
Both boats laying for the top mark, Luna Rossa from the left and Team UK from the right.
Leg two - Both boats cracking 44 knots downwind. No-one has a clear advantage yet.
Team UK jibe back to the right, Luna Rossa continue to the left boundary, before following.
The Italians had a 100m lead heading left, but the Brits have edged back in front as they approach the bottom mark.
Team UK round first and head left, Luna Rossa are nine seconds behind and split right, before tacking left.
Leg one - Both boats heading left upwind. Team UK tack first, Luna Rossa flirt with the boundary, but tack just in time.
Nothing in it right now, as both head right, Team UK tack first and will cross behind Luna Rossa.
Bad tack from the Italians lets Team UK back in front, but they're side by side.
Luna Rossa threaten to veer into Team UK and there's a protest. They tack away and seem to be ahead now.
Team UK laying for the top gate, Luna Rossa tack late and let the Brits back in front. Team UK round the mark two seconds ahead and both head down the right side of the course.
Restart - OK, here we go. Both boats begin their starting preparations.
No, race management delay the restart until 5:20pm.
Luna Rossa enters from port and they're on time. Team UK follow.
Both have gone way right, before tacking back to the line. Team UK drop in behind Luna Rossa, they go airborne for a few seconds.
Both cross the line together, with Team UK to starboard.
5:08pm - Seven minutes until restart and Team UK are foiling, so they seem OK. Let's see how this problem bears up under the pressure of racing.
4:57pm - Team UK have requested a delay to fix their problem. Restart now reset to 5:15pm.
4:51pm - Restart now timed for 5pm, because the wind, which initially shifted right, has now gone further left.
There are probably fans awake in the middle of the night, desperate to get some sleep.
Team UK have struck a problem at the base of the mast and are frantically working to correct it before countdown to the start. They apparently have a 15-minute delay they can play, if they think it's needed.
4:34pm - OK, another they've tacked another 10 minutes onto the delay, restart now timed for 4:55pm.
4:28pm - Race management has revised the restart to 4:45pm. It appears the wind has switched back to its original direction, so the course is being tweaked again.
Last week's calamity may have made organisers very cautious about avoiding a repeat of the American Magic accident.
4:16pm - Restart is now timed for 4:35pm.
4:14pm - Still no time given for a restart, so crews are just chilling right now.
Start - Both boats are preparing for their starting manoeuvres. Luna Rossa will have first port entry to the start box.
Good winds are expected today, but neither boat is foiling yet - four minutes remaining until the gun.
Both boats now foiling, as Luna Rossa make their way across the start box to port.
The Italians are in the start box, but race management has postponed the race, after a wind shift. They're not taking any chances today, after the mayhem last week.
The Brits are considering a change of jib in the shifty conditions...
3:46pm - Today's schedule will see Team UK and Luna Rossa race first up for the 'live' Prada Cup point, then both will be required to start their 'ghost races' against American Magic.
Wonder what happens if one of those yachts is damaged during the real race and can't make the 'ghost' start-line? Anything is possible in the America's Cup.
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Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the America's Cup challenger series on Auckland's Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf.
So much has changed in seven days, after NYYC American Magic's spectacular spill last Sunday. That crash has changed the whole shape of the Prada Cup competition, with one of the contenders - the pre-series favourites - sidelined at least until the semi-finals.
The other two teams - INEOS Team UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - must carry on, with an automatic spot in the challengers final still up for grabs.
The British currently sit atop the table with four wins from as many races and American Magic's absence will gift them another two wins, although both they and Luna Rossa must still go through the formality of crossing the start-line in their 'ghost races' against the Americans.
The Italians have two wins from four races, but if they beat Team UK twice this weekend - once today and again on Sunday - they will draw even with their rivals and hold the tiebreak, after winning their last head-to-head encounter.
Race management seem to have settled on Course C as the preferred racetrack and, with 12-16-knot south-westerlies prevailing today, that stretch between North Head and Bastion Point will again be centrestage.
TAB odds: Team UK $1.67, Luna Rossa $3.50, American Magic $4.50
Raft of safety changes after American Magic's capsize
A review into American Magic's dramatic capsize has caused a raft of safety changes for the remainder of the Prada and America's Cups.
Before last Sunday's capsize, a team was disqualified after they had received outside assistance, but officials will now stop a race immediately, if a boat again turns over.
"After reviewing what happened last weekend, when it took almost five minutes for that assistance to be given, we felt there was a four-minute window of opportunity that the help could've been give straight to the yacht," says Prada Cup race director Ian Murray says.
"It's become very clear to everyone, when a boat capsizes, it is 99 percent likely to be out of the race, so we are trying to bring the saftey forward."
They've also changed the shape of the preferred Course C to allow racing to happen in more types of wind directions.
"Over a long period, the races were mapped over five areas, but it became obvious to me, being here and living in the winds, that there is a very good area in Course C," Murray says. "The priority of the regatta for the people and racing is to make it work in Course C."
Racing will continue on Saturday, when the penultimate race of the America's Cup challenger series occurs between Team UK and Luna Rossa.
As it stands, Team UK are two points clear of the Italians. If Sir Ben Ainslie's side claim victory on Saturday, they will wrap up top spot and a place in the Prada Cup final.
