AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Prada avoided an upset loss in an all-Italian duel with Mascalzone Latino, and Oracle had a win ripped from its grasp within 150 yards of the finish Wednesday in a bizarre round of America's Cup challenger racing.

Oracle had a winning lead against Sweden's Victory Challenge when racing time expired.

The clash of U.S.-based rivals OneWorld and Stars & Stripes also was abandoned on its last leg when the time limit expired. The race was already contentious, thrown under protest by both teams because of the race committee's handling of a baffling downwind leg.

Series-leading Alinghi of Switzerland beat Britain's GBR Challenge by 7 minutes, 45 seconds, but in keeping with the tone of the day, GBR protested the result.

After losing four days of racing in the second round due to high winds and coming off a day marred by shifting breezes and damaged yachts, the start of racing Wednesday was delayed for two hours because of light wind.

New York's Stars & Stripes, coming off three consecutive losses, and Seattle's OneWorld, winners in 10 of their 11 races, were heavily impeded by the light breeze in a controversial match.

OneWorld led by 1:15 at the first mark, but the race descended into farce on the next leg as the wind failed and then shifted so significantly that the race committee couldn't set a leeward mark.

When it appeared the mark would have to be set too far inshore to give the yachts sea room, the committee offered both teams the chance to re-start.

Both appeared to have accepted when the committee revised that call and attempted to set a mark after all. The committee boat, chasing the yachts downwind, set itself as the leeward mark, but only after OneWorld had already reached the point where the mark should have been set.

It was forced to turn back and round the mark again, awarding Stars & Stripes a lead substantial as it was unexpected.

By the third mark Stars & Stripes was 2:09 ahead, and both teams were flying red flags, indicating the committee's handling of the mark rounding was under protest.

The wind failed almost entirely as Stars & Stripes and OneWorld approached the finish line and time ran out before the New York team could press its advantage.

For the second consecutive day American teams found themselves opposed in the protest room. On Tuesday, Oracle protested Stars & Stripes refusal to sail their scheduled race because of gear damage. No decision had been reached on that protest.

Yachts are allowed 45 minutes for each leg, almost impossible in the light conditions.

Mascalzone had seemed poised for the upset of the regatta as it led challenger champion Prada around all marks after picking up a favorable shift on the first leg.

But within minutes of the finish, Prada forced Mascalzone to jibe and, in doing so, the Neapolitan team knotted its gennaker. As Mascalzone fought to free the sail, Prada glided past and crossed the finish line 1:42 ahead.

"It was a very difficult day for a race,'' said Prada skipper Francesco de Angelis. "After how the race shaped up in the beginning, I'm relieved we got the points.

"Days like this you can't have everything so you have to deal with what you have.''

Organizers had scheduled two flights of racing Wednesday to make up for race days lost to high winds, but the afternoon races were abandoned due to the conditions.

Four races due to be sailed in the afternoon were postponed and will now be sailed Thursday. The two races abandoned in the morning session were rescheduled to Sunday, at the end of the second round.

The race committee also decided that, if further delays occur, sailing will continue during the interval between the second round and quarterfinals. In those circumstances, the start of the quarterfinals, scheduled for Nov. 12, would be pushed back by as many days needed to complete the second round.

All wins in the first and second rounds count one point. At the end of the second round eight teams will progress to quarterfinals, seeded on points standings, and the last-placed team will be eliminated.