No racing in wind over 15 knots? You have got to be kidding? I grew up sailing a 10 meter Pearson on the San Francisco Bay and an average day blew 20 knots. 25 knots and we reefed the sail and continued on. 30 knots and we put a second reef in and furled the jib in some. I did have the front stay break on a port side tack heading out under the gate. The only thing that kept the mast up was the jib sheet
FWIW we see them sometimes practice in the SF Bay area.
Also didn't they put the racers through a hurricane a few years back?