USA wins 33rd America's Cup Match

BMW ORACLE Racing Team’s revolutionary wing sail powered trimaran USA convincingly won Race 2 off Valencia today to win the 33rd America’s Cup match outright.

The American team, founded ten years ago by software mogul Larry Ellison, achieved its ultimate goal when they powered across the finish line of Race 2 with a margin of 5 minutes and 26 seconds to defeat the Swiss Defender’s Alinghi 2-0.

Ellison sailed on board USA today, his first America’s Cup Match race proving a winning one.

BMW ORACLE Racing become the first American team to win the America’s Cup since 1992 when America3 defeated Il Moro de Venezia off San Diego.

San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club become the 28th American Defender of the America’s Cup.

Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing, has now won the America’s Cup four times, twice with his native New Zealand, once at the helm of the Swiss Alinghi team and now masterminding the success of Ellison’s American team.

In the evening twilight the giant black and white trimaran USA speared across the finish line off Valencia, a long way ahead of the Swiss team who first won the America’s Cup in New Zealand in 2000 and then successfully defended it against Emirates Team New Zealand in July 2007.

After a delay of over six hours waiting for the SE’ly wind to settle, Race 2 of the best of three series was contested in around 6-9 knots of breeze.

The showdown immediately unfolded in dramatic fashion when Alinghi were penalized for an error in the start box, the second successive penalty during the Pre-Start sequence. USA lead off the start line by 24 seconds but the Swiss team hooked into extra wind pressure on the right side of the course and a favorable 20 degrees shift in wind direction.

They profited progressively and at one stage were some 600 meters ahead of the BMW ORACLE Racing Team’s trimaran.

Unlike Friday’s whitewash, when USA sailed steadily away from Alinghi 5, the windward leg was nailbiting right until the American trimaran was able to round the first mark with a small lead.

On the approach to the windward mark of the 39 miles triangle shaped course, USA came back when they were able to squeeze inside the line of Alinghi, to turn 28 seconds ahead. Surging to 30 knots at times on the first of two 13 miles reaches, the powerful trimaran with its 223ft high solid wing sail rig was able to gain 2 minutes and 16 seconds by the second turning mark, the gybe, going on to win by 5 minutes and 26 seconds.

Valentine’s Day sees bright sunshine and light winds this morning around the Marina Real Juan Carlos 1, the beating heart of the 33rd America’s Cup.
The forecast looks fairly promising for Race 2 which is due to start around midday, although the race committee do plan to wait until the forecasted SE’ly breeze arrives and won’t be hurried. In many respects it is a similar situation to Friday Race 1 where the offshore breeze is due to give way a breeze from the southerly quadrant.

Alinghi 5 docked out first with Swiss timing at 0900hrs to their signature Red Hot Chili Peppers ‘Can’t Stop’. If this proves to be their last day as America’s Cup holders, team president Ernesto Bertarelli (SUI) wore a huge smile and looked relaxed as he stepped on board. They have the advantage of entry with right of way on starboard tack today and may try for revenge in the start box, and aim to pin a penalty of USA.

BMW ORACLE Racing’s USA crew looked equally relaxed and focused. They left their base knowing they can make sailing history today. The triangle course is more of a challenge in terms of maneuvers, boat handling and sailing on the tight reaches. But, once more we are heading into unknown territory. Some say Alinghi will be stronger around the reaching course, but others simply point to the extra righting moment of USA and the power to drag ratio of their wing weapon.

It could be a red letter day for Russell Coutts (NZL) the CEO of  BMW ORACLE Racing. In 1995 he skippered Black Magic to win the America’s Cup for New Zealand 5-0 against Dennis Conner’s Young America Team and in 1993 he skippered Alinghi to win the America’s Cup 5-0 for Switzerland. In

Race officer Harold Bennett (NZL) said this morning:

“ We are going out for looking to midday but I am not sure we will see the breeze by then, and we have to wait for this offshore breeze to die away and for the wind to turn into the SE, it is going to be in that quadrant, southerly or SE. So we have to wait and see until it develops.”

Provisional Deltas Race 2:
                                        Start    Mark 1    Mark 2     Final
Alinghi                    
BMW ORACLE Racing     0:24    0:28        2:44        5:26

Race 2 official crews line up:

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

For more info: WWW.AMERICASCUP.COM

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