America's Cup- Oracle Racing News - Edition 34

America’s Cup World Series San Diego 2011 Fleet Guilain Grenier Oracle Team USA http://www.oracleteamusamedia.com/

Monday, November 14, 2011

Spithill: “Fore!”

ORACLE Racing skipper Jimmy Spithill was guest of honor last Friday at COBRA-PUMA Golf headquarters in Carlsbad, Calif., for a personal fitting session. Last year PUMA, ORACLE Racing’s Official Sportswear and Technical Clothing Supplier, purchased Cobra Golf.

Spithill spent about one hour having his swing analyzed by customer service rep Adam Austreng. Spithill went through a range of clubs from Trusty Rusty wedges to the four-foot Long Tom driver. Each swing was simulated with the GC2 smart camera system from Foresight Sports.

“It was a really interesting session. I really enjoyed it,” said Spithill. “They use the same sort of video footage that we do to go through and breakdown what we do in maneuvers, boathandling and just getting our playbook sorted. It was fantastic to see the technology, see with my swing – which I’m sure was a surprise to them, not the usual swing – just to custom fit the club. It was amazing. The clubs feel fantastic. I can’t wait to get out there.”

Link to article: Spithill: “Fore!”
Related photo gallery: ORACLE Racing PUMA poster signing (Must be on Facebook to view)

ACWS San Diego – Port Cities Challenge

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) 2-3-1-7-2-2 — 49 points
2. ORACLE Racing Spithill (USA) 3-8-2-5-3-3 — 42
3. Artemis Racing (SWE) 1-4-6-9-1-5 — 41
4. Energy Team (FRA) 7-5-3-4-6-1 — 40
5. ALEPH (FRA) 8-7-5-1-5-4 — 36
6. Team Korea (KOR) 6-9-4-2-4-7 — 35
7. ORACLE Racing Coutts (USA) 4-2-8-3-8-8 — 33
8. China Team (CHN) 5-1-7-8-7-6 — 32
9. Green Comm Racing (ESP) 9-6-9-6-9-9 — 22
(Scoring: 1st = 10 points, 2nd = 9, 3rd = 8, 4th = 7, 5th = 6, 6th = 5, 7th = 4, 8th, 9th = 3)

The Cup arrives in San Diego

Source: America’s Cup website // Nov. 10, 2011

The oldest trophy in international sport arrived at the AC Village in San Diego - a sneak preview ahead of the America's Cup World Series which begins with preliminary racing on Saturday.

Wednesday afternoon, the Cup was the center of attention during two “Cupdate” shows hosted by the Vice Commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, Tom Ehman, who is currently involved with his 11th consecutive America's Cup campaign.

The first show was for local junior sailors and their parents, with a standing room only crowd approaching 200 in the Pavilion at Broadway Pier.

The enthusiastic crowd of youth sailors demonstrated great knowledge of the America's Cup, as special guests Terry Hutchinson, the skipper of Artemis Racing, along with ORACLE Racing design coordinator Ian Burns and Louis Vuitton’s Bruno Troublé, each ably assisted Tom Ehman in his compelling presentation, which carried the audience through 160 years of the America's Cup story.

After showing a video of ORACLE Racing winning the Cup in 2010, Tom asked the kids in the crowd who among them would like to be featuring in a video like that in a few years time. Every hand in the crowd shot up.

Link to full article: The Cup arrives in San Diego
Photo below: Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA

America’s Cup sixth man is as close as one can get

By Gwen Knapp, San Francisco Chronicle // Nov. 14, 2011

The sixth man in the America's Cup World Series will never shoot a three-pointer, make a critical steal or holler support from the stands like a collegiate Sixth Man club. This sixth man ideally stays on the bench and watches silently, like a gagged spectator.

For almost 20 years now, America's Cup races have invited a guest rider to hunker down in the stern of each boat, letting non-competitors experience elite sailing from a seat unlike any other in sports. The invitation list typically includes sponsors, potential sponsors, leaders of local sailing organizations, elected officials, team owners, members of the media, winners of charity auctions and, occasionally, a musical legend or Super Bowl champion.

For those with sailing backgrounds, the trip enhances the connection to the sport. For everyone else, it explains and promotes sailing, which hopes to jettison its stuffy image. Picture Mickey Hart, the Grateful Dead drummer, climbing aboard and then raving about the thrill in front of a video camera. How could the audience not grow?

Even though they do virtually nothing except perhaps shift their weight to accommodate the crew's needs, the guests can expect an adventure, especially in the new wing-sail catamarans.

"Some of (the guests) probably wanted to scream, but they are not allowed to," said Vasilij Zbogar, skipper of the Spanish team GreenComm, "There was one guy who was with us, he was doing this ..." Zbogar bowed his head and muttered furiously, then looked up smiling. "When we looked at him, we thought he was praying."

Link to full article: America’s Cup sixth man is as close as one can get

ORACLE Racing 2nd, 7th in Port Cities Challenge

On a glorious autumn day and in front of a large crowd on Broadway Pier, ORACLE Racing Spithill placed second overall in the Port Cities Challenge, the tune-up regatta for the America’s Cup World Series San Diego that is scheduled to start on Wednesday.

Watch the video: Port Cities Challenge Day 2

Skipper Jimmy Spithill and crew – John Kostecki, Dirk de Ridder, Joe Newton and Piet van Nieuwenhuijzen – finished with 42 points, 7 points behind winner Emirates Team New Zealand. Spithill, however, pointed to the crew’s performance on the start line as an area for improvement.

“We never nailed a start,” said Spithill. “We were OK, conservative, mid-pack. I thought the guys sailed very well in the pack. Every time we were able to climb forward and get out of it. Boathandling was really physical today and JK did good job on the wind. I was happy with our damage control but we have to do a better job on the line to win races.”

ORACLE Racing Coutts finished the regatta in seventh place with 33 points. New skipper Darren Bundock, an accomplished multihull sailor, said it was an average day where nothing seemed to go their way.

“We didn’t have good starts and when we made up a bit of ground we would generally lose it,” said Bundock. “We also had an OCS and a penalty. I guess if you can get those sorts of things out of the way in one day that’s the way to do it; practice race is the time to get it wrong.”

Link to full article: ORACLE Racing places 2nd, 7th in Port Cities Challenge
Related articles: ORACLE Racing battles rivals, elements in Port Cities Challenge
Kiwis claim Port Cities Challenge
All photos: Guilain Grenier/ORACLE Racing

ORACLE Racing on San Diego Bay

ORACLE Racing has enjoyed a sort of homecoming at the America’s Cup World Series San Diego. The winner of the 33rd America’s Cup spent 16 months in San Diego from August 2008 to December 2009 getting the giant trimaran USA 17 ready for the contest she won in February 2010.

While practicing for the Port Cities Challenge, last weekend’s tune-up regatta for the ACWS San Diego, the team found familiar settings all around. It also found the protected San Diego Bay in contrast to the wavy venue of Plymouth, U.K.

“I think it’s going to be fantastic venue, good water, nice flat water, and very confined area for sailing. I think there’s going to be a lot of vantage points for spectators,” said Darren Bundock in the video ORACLE Racing takes on San Diego Bay.

San Diego Bay is one of the most beautiful natural bays on the US West Coast. Daily sunsets over Point Loma illuminate red and orange hues that streak across the sky. The America’s Cup will be omnipresent on the Bay during the ACWS, but every day of the year it is the home of the United States Navy’s Pacific Fleet, as evidenced in the photo gallery, The scene on San Diego Bay.

All photos: Guilain Grenier/ORACLE Racing