BMW ORACLE Racing present team and state-of-the-art trimaran
by Jane Eagleson, GGYC 12 Aug 2009 06:20 BST
11 August 2009
The first official presentation of the BMW Oracle team for the 33rd America’s Cup © Gilles Martin-Raget / BMW Oracle Racing
In the first official presentation of the team since becoming the Challenger of Record for the 33rd America’s Cup, team owner Larry Ellison thanked his team for their dedication and promised to leave no stone unturned in their quest to win back the oldest trophy in sports for the United States.
To that end, the team also confirmed the trimaran it has been sailing in sea-trials, BOR 90, will undergo further testing and modifications before emerging as USA, the boat the team will use to challenge for the America’s Cup in six months time. CEO and Skipper Russell Coutts announced that helmsman James Spithill will be driving the team’s boat in the 33rd America’s Cup. The team will continue testing in San Diego until November.
In a day celebrating the team’s preparations to date for the 33rd America’s Cup Match, Larry Ellison encouraged his squad to keep developing the boat to discover the full potential it will take to win the head to head battle with the Swiss Defender.
“We are pushing ourselves to our limit and we’re discovering what the boat can do and what we can do as a team,” Ellison said. “If we’ve done our job well, we’ll go out and race this boat and the win the America’s Cup.”
Coutts, a three-time America’s Cup winner, noted how proud he was of his team’s accomplishments to date.
“The America’s Cup is an incredible challenge. There are so many factors just to get to the start line. This time is perhaps even more challenging than in recent history. But this is what makes this event so rewarding when you do achieve the goal,” Coutts said.
“It’s taken an epic commitment to date from our design team, boatbuilding team, our shore team, our support team and our sailing team. The sailing team is still learning what we have here. Everyone is excited and motivated and we are inspired every day by this unique challenge. Thank you for supporting us and we hope we are back here next year with the America’s Cup.”
Coutts and Ellison introduced the team to the 400 guests that included the media, partners and sponsors, team families, local dignitaries and sailing community friends. The public enjoyed the show from the adjacent public area behind the Convention Center.
Following the dockside presentation at the team’s San Diego base, a San Diego Harbor Police boat will lead the BOR 90 trimaran in a parade of boats to Point Loma. The replica of the 1851 Cup winner, the schooner America, which gave its name to the trophy, followed astern of BOR 90. The two boats represent 158 years of cutting-edge American nautical technology dedicated to winning the America’s Cup, the oldest trophy in sport.
For further information please visit the team’s website www.bmworacleracing.com