BMW Oracle vinder America's Cup

Russell Coutts vandt America's Cup med fra Alinghi, siden skiftede han til BMW Oracle Racing og nu vinder Coutts igen pokalen.

Efter et hav af retssager er det nu endeligt. Amerikanerne og BMW Oracle Racing har vundet den 33. America's Cup.

Ikke siden 1992 har et amerikansk hold vundet cuppen. Det skete i 1992, hvor America 3 slog ill Moro 4 i San Diego.

Nu kan en af verdens rigeste mænd, Larry Ellison, ejer af Oracle, række the Auld Mug i vejret, den grimme, tunge sølvkande fra 1851.

Det var James Spithill, der styrede til sejr, efter han vandt starten med 'USA' tvang Alinghi på højre side, så det ud til.

Forinden havde Alinghi fået en straf fordi de helt uforståeligt sejlede ind i det forbudte startområde for tidligt.

Alinghi førte ellers

Sden tog Alinghi føringen, men kastede den væk op ved topmærket, hvor de - igen helt uforståeligt - sejlede over layline ved krydsmærket og lod 'USA' gå inden om og dermed førte BMW Oracle foran med 28 sekunder.

Derfra stak de af og kom flere hundrede meter foran i mål efter flot sejlads på på halvvind og slørsejlads.

5 minutter og 26 sekunder vandt den anden sejlads, mens den første sejlads blev vundet af amerikanerne med mere end et kvarter.

Ejer Larry Ellison og hovedmanden bag sejren, Russel Coutts, sejlede også med i dag, modsat sejladsen i fredags hvor de var på BMW Oracles følgebåd. De to sejlere står dog ikke på den officielle liste.

Race 2 - de var om bord:

BMW ORACLE Racing Team
Brad Webb (NZL), Bowman
Simone de Mari (ITA), Pitman
Ross Halcrow (NZL), Jib Trimmer
Dirk de Ridder (NED), Wing Sail Trimmer
Joey Newton (AUS), Wing Sail Caddy
John Kostecki (USA),Tactician
James Spithill (AUS),Skipper/Helmsman
Matteo Plazzi (ITA),Navigator
Thierry Fouchier (FRA), Aft Pit
Matthew Mason (NZL), Mast

Alinghi 5
Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen (NED),Bow 1
Curtis Blewett (CAN),Bow 2
Jan Dekker (RSA/FRA),Bow 3
Rodney Ardern (NZL),Pitman
Simon Daubney (NZL),Trimmer upwind
Nils Frei (SUI),Trimmer downwind
Warwick Fleury (NZL),Mainsail trimmer
Pierre-Yves Jorand (SUI),Traveller
Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI),Helmsman
Brad Butterworth (NZL),Tactician
Murray Jones (NZL),Strategist
Juan Vila (ESP),Navigator
Loïck Peyron (FRA),Floater
Peter Evans (NZL), Pre-start

Citater på engelsk. Først fra Alinghi:

Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) Team President and helm Alinghi (SUI):
'Over the last ten years anyone who has come close to the Alinghi team I guess understands what I feel now.

There is a unique warmth, a unique spirit, a unique friendship that ties any person who has either worked, cheered or come close and met the Alinghi team. And so I am very proud of what we achieved over the last nine years.'

'It is not for me decide the future of the America’s Cup any more so I will wait and see what the future is going to bring us and where it going to take us. Then I will decide.'

'We could see there was a bit of difference in the boats, but that’s yacht racing.'

' They had a strategy. They got a little help from the legal system in New York that always makes things difficult for us Europeans to get the same sort advantages. They were able to change their boat when they saw ours, they were able to bring a wing and they were faster.

So, good on them. Maybe I wouldn’t have done the same thing, but that is the America’s Cup, it is not the European Cup, it is the America’s Cup. The Americans have a bit of an advantage but they take the Cup back home. Let’s see what happens now.'

' I think the greatest achievement of Alinghi is being the first European Team to win the America’s Cup.'

'If you win the America’s Cup you hope you are not going to be sued!'

Citater fra BMW Oracle:

Russell Coutts (NZL) CEO and afterguard BMW ORACLE Racing Team (USA):
' I think this was a very challenging event. Even two or three months ago I was not sure that we could have our team working effectively enough to beat these guys.

I know, because I was in team Alinghi and I know how good they are. It was a fantastic effort on our behalf to have beaten them and certainly I hope to see them back and competing in the America’s Cup.'

Larry Ellison (USA) team founder and afterguard BMW ORACLE Racing Team (USA) ….one his thoughts on possible venues for the 34th America’s Cup in response to questions about San Francisco and Valencia:
' I think we are open to considering a lot of options. We will talk to San Francisco, to Valencia…..

Valencia have been fantastic hosts to the last two America’s Cups. And as you know we pushed very hard to hold this Cup in Valencia. It was not the Defender’s first choice, and overall we enjoyed sailing the 32nd and the 33rd America’s Cup in Valencia.'

Larry Ellison (USA) team founder and afterguard BMW ORACLE Racing Team (USA)….on speculation about a Challenger of Record:
' All I would like to say is that we definitely have Challenger of Record. One thing I would like to assure people about the 34th America’s Cup.

There be a completely independent jury, there will be a completely independent umpires. It will be an independent group which manages the next America’s Cup and there will be a level playing field for all competitors.'

James Spithill (AUS) skipper-helm BMW ORACLE Racing Team (USA)….on comparisons with his last America’s Cups in monuhulls;
'This one has been an amazing experience, pretty much for al the team, but especially for the sailors, Pretty much everyone on the boat had very little multihull experience beforehand.

In some ways this almost one feels harder. For me personally it was a really steep hill to climb. To be able to climb that you need to have good support and early on Franck Cammas and the Groupama guys, Glenn Ashby, Roman Hagara and a lot of these multihull experts. From my point of view there was no way I could have got to that level without their help and support.'

Russell Coutts (NZL) CEO and afterguard BMW ORACLE Racing Team (USA):
' Of course we would like to see Alinghi back as a challenger. They are one of the best teams in this business, and they have proven that.

I think that the Cup boats we should reach consensus with the rest of the America’s Cup world. I think it would be irresponsible for one party to make try and make a decision on behalf of the everyone else. You need to put a lot of thought into this. This is a 159 year old trophy and let’s look after it.'

Larry Ellison (USA) team founder and afterguard BMW ORACLE Racing Team (USA):
'This particular America’s Cup has got a lot of interest because for the first time in a long time it featured the two fastest sailboats in the world. And the limits of what is possible marrying high speed sailing and material science, carbon fibre, Kevlar, computational fluid dynamics, computer simulation of not only our hulls but also our wing.

It was really a high tech race. And a bunch of people who really aren’t that interested in sailing followed it pretty closely. And we think that is important for our sport. We think that is important to get the television coverage, to involve non sailors as well as sailors.

We are going to try and make decision along with the rest of the America’s Cup community so we can do just that, achieving sponsorship and funding for all of the teams from BMW ORACLE and Alinghi to the China Team and the South African Team and the Swedish team the New Zealand team. If we do our job well and work closely with them it should be the most popular America’s Cup ever, the 34th America’s Cup.'

www.americascup.com