AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Le Defi of France and Britain's GBR Challenge avoided elimination from the America's Cup on Sunday when quarterfinal races were abandoned because of strong winds.

The French and British teams trail 3-1 in the best-of-seven quarterfinals of the challenger series.

Sweden's Victory Challenge leads the French team, and New York's Stars & Stripes holds a commanding advantage over GBR in a repeat of the first America's Cup match in 1851 between New York and Britain.

The latest postponement was the 11th in 33 scheduled race days since the challenger series began Oct. 1. Several more races have been delayed or disrupted by wind conditions.

The race committee made the decision to cancel racing Sunday when squall conditions hit Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.

The committee asked the four teams to head to the Gulf four hours before the scheduled start. Squalls bringing winds above 33 knots had been forecast to sweep the Gulf, but race organizers hoped a predicted lull around midday would allow racing to get underway.

There was a calming at some point but not long enough to make a start possible. The committee decided about 40 minutes before the scheduled start that racing would not be feasible.

The races were rescheduled for Monday. If Victory and Stars & Stripes win, they will advance to the quarterfinal repechages.

Alinghi of Switzerland, and Oracle of San Francisco have already gained places in the challenger semifinals after victories over Prada of Italy and OneWorld of Seattle.

Prada and OneWorld will meet the winners of the remaining quarterfinals in the repechages, which start Nov. 23.

The semifinals start Dec. 9.