The 2017 Flag Day fautasi championship race scheduled for 8a.m. has been rescheduled for Saturday morning.

The move comes amid rough ocean conditions this morning as the National Weather Service in Tafuna extends to this morning high surf and small craft advisories from yesterday.

The weather office is forecasting surf of 10 to 13 feet with locally higher sets for today, due to southerly swell for all south and west facing shores of American Samoa.  Forecasters are expecting large waves and strong rip currents, according to the advisories.

Leaders of fautasi teams told Samoa News reporters at the finish line and at the Manulele Tausala camp that today’s championship race is canceled and has been rescheduled for 8a.m. Saturday because of rough ocean conditions.

The decision was made following a meeting of fautasi captains around 8:30a.m.

Information from committee officials also confirmed that final race has been continued to 8a.m. Saturday morning.

Cancelation of the championship race followed a decision by the fautasi committee earlier today to scrap the 8a.m. friendly race between four fautasi, after the Iseula-o le-Moana of Fagatogo took on water just off the entrance to the Pago Pago Harbor and sustained damage to the fautasi.

The four fautasi for the friendly race were all set for the race, but seas were too rough.

KVZK-TV fautasi commentators say an American man who owns a vessel towed the Fagatogo fautasi back into the harbor and onto the shoreline just behind the Fagatogo Market Place, where the crew went on to dry land.

A Samoa News reporter, at the shoreline behind the Market Place, observed that the Iseula o le Moana had sustained bad damage at the center of the fautasi but all crew members are all safe.

This story will be updated as new information is received.