Kiwis in command at Plymouth Sound exhibition day

The Kiwis were in command of Plymouth Sound on a day of exhibition racing for potential America’s Cup teams as their parallel world series in 45-foot wing-powered catamarans defied forecasts of heavy winds.

Crowds of spectators also braved a blustery afternoon to see the fleet of nine but, although one or two the nine decided to attack the short race course under The Hoe with a degree of caution, the forecast of heavy winds turned into a now-cast of moderate breeze.

Joining the Swedish team Artemis as tactician on Sunday is British double Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy, recovering from a damaged ankle which cut short his participation, with crew Andrew Simpson, in the Star class European championship.

Next weekend, the man with whom Percy worked so closely on Britain’s America’s Cup challenge, Sir Keith Mills’ Team Origin skipper Ben Ainslie, joins in Trapani, Sicily, the Extreme Sailing Series.

He will be at the helm of the Oman Air Extreme 40 catamaran amid mounting speculation that he may also be given the opportunity to helm an AC45 carrying Oman Sailing colours.

Niklas Zennström’s Rán team left the maxi world championships in Porto Cervo for a fifth and final event in the Audi MedCup series in Barcelona, where he switches a 72-footer for a 52-footer and sails with a new tactician, the American Morgan Larsen, who replaces United States-based Kiwi, Gavin Brady.

Larsen used to call tactics for Terry Hutchinson, now with Artemis, on Quantum, which leads the 2011 series skippered by another American, Ed Baird.

Baird is being chased by Italy’s Azzurra, skippered by the Argentinian Guillermo Parada, but many eyes will also be in the Spanish boat, Bribón, long associated with King Juan Carlos, who has said that this will be the regatta at which he will retire from competitive yacht racing.