34th America’s Cup - Oracle team USA claims another win

by Oracle team USA on 21 Sep 2013 Oracle team USA claimed another win on Thursday in Race 13 of the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco. With racing underway in the lightest winds of the regatta, the race was abandoned as the time limit was exceeded. In the re-sail of Race 13, skipper Jimmy Spithill and crew rolled into the lead on the second leg and held on to collect their fifth win (third point) of the match.

'It was a great bounce-back from the guys. We learned a lot in that first race and applied it to the second,' Spithill said. 'Where we are now, we truly believe we’ve got the boat to win, we’ve got the tools, and the guys are doing a fantastic job onboard.'

Race 13 began in eight-knot winds. Both boats were in a slow march off the start, and New Zealand took an early lead on San Francisco Bay. But the breeze did not pick up, and the 40-minute set time limit on racing expired.

When Race 13 was restarted, Emirates Team New Zealand was in front around the first mark. But, early in the second leg, Oracle team USA gained the advantage and continued to extend. Spithill and crew did not relinquish the lead and won by one minute, 24 seconds.

'We’ve all been in that situation where we have a hand on the trophy, and you have to come back and do it all again,' said tactician Ben Ainslie. 'We certainly felt fortunate, and we’ll ride our luck with that one and keep fighting.'

In the overall standings, New Zealand holds the lead at eight-three in points, eight-five in wins. The winner of the 34th America’s Cup is the first team to win nine points.

The regatta continues on Saturday with Race 14, beginning at 1:15 pm PT.

'It's full throttle for us,' said Spithill. 'We're not being conservative out there. We're doing everything we can.'

Race 13 Data
Course: 5 Legs/10.08 nautical miles
Elapsed Time: OTUSA – 27:20, ETNZ – 28:44
Delta: OTUSA +1:24
Total distance sailed: OTUSA – 10.9 NM, ETNZ – 10.8 NM
Average Speed: OTUSA – 24.16 knots (28 mph), ETNZ – 22.63 knots (26 mph)
Top Speed: OTUSA – 33.90 knots (39 mph), ETNZ – 33.74 knots (39 mph)
Windspeed: Average – 9.8 knots, Peak – 13.2 knots
Number of Tacks/Jibes: OTUSA – 5/7, ETNZ – 6/8

Standings
Emirates Team New Zealand – Eight
ORACLE TEAM USA – Third