Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS Leaderboard

America's Cup World Series, Naples- Oracle Team USA ready for battle

by Lisa Ramsperger on 16 Apr 2013
34th America’s Cup / ACWS Naples / Oracle Racing / Practice Guilain Grenier Oracle Team USA http://www.oracleteamusamedia.com/
Following on from alternating between sailing the AC72 and training for the next America’s Cup World Series, Oracle Team USA is in Naples, Italy, and ready to focus on racing the AC45. Skipper Tom Slingsby and crew Sam Newton (wing trimmer), Kinley Fowler (jib trimmer), Rome Kirby (runner) and Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen (bowman), arrived over the weekend and hit the ground running in preparation for this week’s regatta, held April 16-21.

'All of our focus has been on the AC72, but on the days that we are not sailing on the AC72, we have been able get out on the AC45s. We’ve had a few training sessions over the last couple of weeks which have been really important,' said Slingsby. 'We’ll have a few days of training and hopefully improve as much as we can before racing starts. And, I know to expect huge crowds – last year was the biggest crowd I’ve seen in sailing, so I’ll be ready for that, which will hopefully take away some of the nerves.'

Slingsby, gold medalist from the London 2012 Olympic Games, will helm the team’s entry in the regatta, marking his first ACWS as skipper. He has been in the tactician role in previous ACWS regattas, including the 2012 ACWS in Naples.

'I’m really excited,' Slingsby said. 'I’ve been given an opportunity that I’m sort of taking with both hands and trying to run with it. It won’t be easy – any skipper in their first event in the AC45s hasn’t traditionally done too well, and it’s always quite tough. But, we’ll do our best. We’re a young, motivated team and we’ll see how it goes.'

The crew was on the water shortly after landing in Naples. On Sunday, they raced in the Coast Parade Trophy 2013 along the Naples coastline, finishing third.

Nine boats will be racing in the ACWS Naples, including Artemis Racing, China Team, Emirates Team New Zealand, Energy Team, HS Racing, JP Morgan BAR, and two crews from Luna Rossa, alongside Oracle Team USA Slingsby. The first match race gets underway at 13:45 local CET in Naples / 4:45 am PT in San Francisco on Thursday, April 18, followed by fleet racing. The first match race for Slingsby and crew will take place on Friday, April 19. Racing will be broadcast live on the America’s Cup YouTube channel.

'Obviously we’ve been busy with the AC72, and our focus, for the most part, has been on the Cup. Training on the AC45s has been put on the back burner a bit,' said Kirby. 'We’ve all raced in World Series events, but not as a team. We have been out training, but things change when you get around other boats.

'Now that the Naples event is here, we’re all excited to go racing again,' Kirby continued. 'We have a good team, so we’ll see what happens. It should be fun.'

The city of Naples hosts the grand finale of the 2012-13 America’s Cup World Series. It marks the final regatta for the team prior to the 34th America’s Cup. Naples also hosted an ACWS in April 2012.

Oracle Team Usa Crew List: Tom Slingsby (helmsman), Sam Newton (wing trimmer), Kinley Fowler (jib trimmer), Rome Kirby (runner), Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen Oracle Team USA website
Cyclops Marine 2023 November - FOOTERSelden 2020 - FOOTERAllen Dynamic 40 Footer

Related Articles

Sam Goodchild in the Course des Caps
The final phase is full of potential pitfalls Sam Goodchild, the British skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance who has been dominating the IMOCA round Britain and Ireland race since the start of the third day, says the goal now is to focus on the complex finishing section.
Posted today at 10:06 pm
29er Europeans at Lake Garda day 2
Light breeze, boat park buzz and big wins off the water >Day 2 brought lighter winds to Lake Garda, but the energy around the event stayed sky-high.
Posted today at 9:32 pm
Rolex TP52 Worlds in Cascais day 3
French tour de force gives Paprec world championship lead As the Rolex TP52 World Championship passed its midway point today in Cascais, Portugal it is the French underdogs on Paprec, led by ocean racing legend Loïck Peyron, which has taken the overall lead.
Posted today at 7:33 pm
Rolex Fastnet Race IRC One preview
Beyond the French legends there is plenty of international talent with podium potential With 17 editions of the Rolex Fastnet Race to his name, including five class victories along the way and an outright victory in 2015, could anyone bet against Géry Trentesaux doing it again?
Posted today at 6:43 pm
International Moth Worlds begin this weekend
Pre-Worlds are under way at Malcesine From 6 to 13 July 2025, the 2025 Moth World Championship officially gets under way, hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine and preceded by the Pre-Worlds on 4 and 5 July. The event marks the culmination of three weeks entirely dedicated to foiling.
Posted today at 4:44 pm
K-Challenge gives opinion on proposed Protocol
Why the 38th edition could usher in a new era for the America's Cup Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois, Co-CEOs of K-Challenge, jointly stated: “The provisional Protocol published on 23 May 2025 by Defender Emirates Team New Zealand is an important step forward for the America's Cup."
Posted today at 3:37 pm
PredictWind to show new race tracker in August
The Ocean Race joins with PredictWind as Official Tracking and Weather Services Supplier The Ocean Race, often described as the toughest test of a team in sport and widely recognised as a leader in impactful ocean health initiatives, and PredictWind, a global leader in marine weather forecasting, are collaborating on a new race tracker.
Posted today at 7:48 am
ORCV Women's Helm Race changes everything
Rachel Mcguigan charged in—eyes up, hands on, no time to waste Some people drift into sailing. Rachel Mcguigan charged in—eyes up, hands on, no time to waste.
Posted today at 7:41 am
2025 Transat Café L'OR is packed with surprises
73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th 73 boats sailed by 146 co-skippers will set sail on October 26th on the TRANSAT CAFÉ L'OR Le Havre Normandy.
Posted today at 7:20 am
The Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue is back at sea
Peter Burling joining the team for the Rolex Fastnet Race After a refit that began in March, the Trimaran SVR-Lazartigue was relaunched this Thursday, July 3. Lined up for the months ahead is an exciting race programme, culminating this year with the Transat Café L'Or in October.
Posted today at 5:14 am