Oracle Team USA beats Kiwis in rematch
The America’s Cup qualifiers got off to a smashing start Saturday on Bermuda’s Great Sound.
It was a good day for two-time defending champion Oracle Team USA of the Golden Gate Yacht Club and a bad one for Sir Ben Ainslie of Britain.
Moments after Oracle Team USA came from behind to beat Emirates Team New Zealand in a thrilling rematch between the 2013 finalists, Ainslie, the skipper of Land Rover BAR, crashed his 50-foot foiling catamaran into SoftBank Team Japan during the prestart of the day’s sixth and final race.
Crewmen on SoftBank Team Japan had to leap clear of Ainslie’s port hull as it crashed onto their starboard hull. The collision opened a hole in the bottom of the British boat’s carbon fiber hull and caused part of it to delaminate.
Ainslie was penalized and SoftBank Team Japan, skippered by former Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, sailed off to a 48-second win.
The British shore crew has less than 24 hours to repair the boat before Sunday’s races, when Land Rover BAR faces Oracle and Team New Zealand.
It was the third collision this spring for Ainslie, who sailed with Oracle in 2013 and is the most decorated sailor in Olympic history. He hit the dock while returning from a practice session on March 22 and then ran into the back of Emirates Team New Zealand during a practice race on May 16, causing significant damage that took the Kiwis three days to repair.
Oracle went 2-0, opening with a 2:11 rout of Groupama Team France, while Land Rover BAR, Team New Zealand, Artemis Racing of Sweden and SoftBank Team Japan all went 1-1. Groupama Team France was 0-2.
The qualifiers started the same way the 2013 America’s Cup ended, with Oracle rallying to beat Team New Zealand. Four years ago, Team New Zealand reached match point against Oracle on San Francisco Bay before the American team, owned by software billionaire Larry Ellison, won eight straight races to cap one of the greatest comebacks in sports.
On Saturday, there were two lead changes. Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill caught the Kiwis, now helmed by Olympic gold and silver medalist Peter Burling, as the catamarans rounded the mark onto the sixth of seven legs and pulled away to win by six seconds.
“It’s good to get back out there against them,” said Spithill, an Australian. “Both boats are very competitive and it really came down to the sailing side. There were a couple of tactical, match-race situations
that decided that race. That’s a good sign.”
This is the first time the defender has sailed against challengers in the preliminaries. Oracle and the five challengers will compete in two round robins, which will eliminate one challenger. Oracle will then train on its own while the challengers sail their semifinals and finals. The winner will meet Oracle in the first-toseven America’s Cup match starting June 17.
Oracle pulled into a 3-3 tie atop the standings with Land Rover BAR, which opened with two bonus points based on preliminary regattas. Oracle came in with one bonus point.