BMW ORACLE Racing Brings America’s Cup to Strictly Sail Pacific

by Wanda Kenton Smith on 10 Apr 2010 The BMW ORACLE Racing team, winners of the America’s Cup in February, will bring the oldest trophy in international sport to the Strictly Sail Pacific sail boat show on its opening day, Thursday, April 15, 2010.

The America’s Cup will be on display at the West Coast’s largest all-sail show at the East Bay’s Jack London Square from noon until 6 pm, after which there will be a BMW ORACLE Racing team presentation from 6 to 7 pm.

The team presentation is open to the public at no charge and features sailing and design team members in an open and interactive Q+A session, as well as video highlights from the team during its winning campaign for the 33rd America’s Cup.

Participating BMW ORACLE Racing Team members include Brad Webb (NZL), bowman on the winning race crew; Ian Burns (AUS), design coordinator; and Tom Ehman (USA), head of External Affairs.

'We have designated Thursday as ‘America’s Cup Day at Strictly Sail’ in honor of the BMW ORACLE Racing Team’s victory,' said Sail America Executive Director Jonathan Banks, show manager. 'We are absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate the success of America’s finest with the area’s sailing community and the public, and look forward to a great opening day at the show with this special event and festivities!'

The America's Cup, which was first contested in 1851, currently resides at the home yacht club of the team, the Golden Gate Yacht Club in San Francisco. In February, BMW ORACLE Racing became the first American team to win the Cup since 1992.

The trophy has been held by New Zealand and Swiss yacht clubs since Team New Zealand won the event in San Diego in 1995, the last time the America's Cup was held in the United States.

The appearance of the America’s Cup at Strictly Sail Pacific follows recent USA Tour events in Anacortes and Seattle as well as California, following the team’s victory on February 14 in Valencia, Spain. The Tour is presented by Oracle and BMW EfficientDynamics.

The Strictly Sail Pacific Show is produced by Sail America, the trade association for the US sailing industry. Strictly Sail Pacific is the only all-sail boat show on the West Coast and runs April 15 – 18, 2010 at Oakland’s Jack London Square just across the Bay from downtown San Francisco, with easy access from around the Bay Area by ferry, BART or bus. For more information, visit www.strictlysailpacific.com