Showing posts with label Oracle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oracle. Show all posts

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Team USA Level Race

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Oracle Team USA levelled the America's Cup at 8-8 against Team New Zealand to take the competition into a winner-takes-all final race on Wednesday.

The defending champions clinched their sixth and seventh straight wins on Tuesday to complete a stunning comeback from 8-1 down in San Francisco.

The Americans forced two penalties on the Kiwis at the start of race 17 and surged to a 27-second victory.

Oracle trailed after two legs of race 18 but hit back to win by 54 seconds.

The challengers have been within one race of victory since Wednesday, but have been thwarted by Oracle's resurgence and a series of races postponed by unfavourable wind conditions.

Oracle have won 10 races in all but were penalised two points before the regatta began for illegal modifications to their smaller 45ft catamaran in the warm-up series.

Needing just one win to clinch the America's Cup for the third time, and first time since losing to Alinghi in 2003, Team New Zealand were in need of a better start than in recent days.

But in fresh winds on San Francisco Bay, Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill forced his counterpart Dean Barker into committing two right-of-way penalties as the boats headed for the line, and made the most of the gap created to stay well clear throughout the five-leg race.

Barker put his boat in a better position before the day's second race as the Kiwis won the sprint to the first mark and were still leading around the downwind gate.

But Oracle surged past as the boats fought a tacking duel upwind and the holders raced clear to take the regatta into a deciding day.

"It doesn't matter how stiff the challenge is, the boys stuck their heads down and outground the other team. Very impressive," said Australian Spithill.

"What gives us confidence is we've really improved the boat. It's just going great. We're looking forward to getting on the racetrack and having one hell of a fight. It's the most exciting day of all of our lives and we wouldn't want to be anywhere else."

Team New Zealand, who beat Italy's Luna Rossa in the challenger series final, dominated the early stages of the event and surged to a four-wins-to-one lead with a faster boat upwind and slicker crew work.

The holders were rattled and played their one postponement card to delay racing and give them time to alter their 72ft catamaran. They also called up Britain's four-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie from the training crew to the tactician role in place of American John Kostecki.

The two teams won two races apiece in the following days before the Kiwis edged to match point on Wednesday.

After several races were called off because of strong winds, New Zealand were deprived of overall victory in race 13 on Friday when uncharacteristic light winds meant the 40-minute time limit for a race elapsed with the Kiwis two minutes from glory.

Since then, Oracle have been unstoppable and the Larry Ellison-backed outfit have won nine of the past 11 races to set up one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the 162-year-old competition.

The winners of the event get to decide the format and venue of the next America's Cup.

Recent America's Cup winners
2010: Oracle (US) bt Alinghi (Swi) 2-0
2007: Alinghi (Swi) bt Team NZ 5-2
2003: Alinghi (Swi) bt Team NZ 5-0
2000: Team NZ bt Luna Rossa (Ita) 5-0
1995: Team NZ bt Young America (US) 5-0


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Tuesday, 24 September 2013

USA Clinch Another Win

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Oracle Team USA clinched their fifth straight win to close the gap to 8-6 on Team New Zealand in the America's Cup.

The defending champions beat the Kiwis by 33 seconds in Monday's only race to keep the Cup alive with New Zealand needing one win for victory.

The challengers have been within one race of victory since Wednesday, but have been hit by a series of postponed races and Oracle's resurgence.

The US boat needs three more wins to retain the trophy in San Francisco.

"We've got a huge wave of momentum now, the guys have been working very, very hard," said Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill.

Team New Zealand edged the start in light winds but Oracle was first to rise onto its hydrofoils and rounded the first mark in the lead, which it never relinquished.

The light airs that delayed the start to race 16 meant Monday's second race was postponed. Two more races are scheduled for Tuesday, taking the 162-year-old competition into an unprecedented 17th day of racing.

Oracle have won eight races in all but were penalised two points before the regatta for illegal modifications to their smaller 45ft catamaran in the warm-up series.

Team New Zealand dominated the early stages of the 34th America's Cup, surging to a lead of six wins to one with a faster boat upwind and slicker crew work.

After race five, the holders made changes to their 72ft catamaran and called up Britain's four-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie from the training crew to the position of tactician.

The Kiwis won the next two races, but with further modifications and improved crew work Oracle hit back with seven wins in the next nine races to put Team New Zealand's celebrations on hold.

A number of race postponements because of strong winds also delayed the event, while New Zealand were within two minutes of victory on Friday before organisers abandoned the race because light winds meant the 40-minute time limit had elapsed.

The winners of the event get to decide the format and venue of the 35th America's Cup, the oldest trophy in sport.

America's Cup 2013 results
Race 16: Oracle Team USA win by 33 secs
Race 15: Oracle Team USA win by 37 secs
Race 14: Oracle Team USA win by 23 secs
Race 13: Oracle Team USA win by 84 secs
Race 12: Oracle Team USA win by 31 secs
Race 11: Team New Zealand win by 15s
Race 10: Team New Zealand win by 17s
Race 9: Oracle Team USA win by 47 secs
Race 8: Oracle Team USA win by 52 secs
Race 7: Team New Zealand win by 66 secs
Race 6: Team New Zealand win by 47 secs
Race 5: Team New Zealand win by 65 secs
Race 4: Oracle Team USA win by 8 secs
Race 3: Team New Zealand win by 28 secs
Race 2: Team New Zealand win by 52 secs
Race 1: Team New Zealand win by 36 secs

*Oracle penalised two points pre-regatta


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Friday, 20 September 2013

USA Keep Hopes Alive

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Oracle Team USA stayed alive in the America's Cup after beating Team New Zealand in race 12 - the only completed race on Thursday.

Later in the day, Race 13 was postponed until Friday after winds exceeded the 20 knots limit in San Francisco bay.

The Kiwis lead 8-2 in the 17-race finals series and need to win only one more race to take the trophy.

Team USA, the defending champions, took Thursday's only race by a comfortable 31-second margin.

They won the start with a shrewd manoeuvre that pushed New Zealand away from the line, and then showed impressive speed on the critical upwind leg before dashing home for the victory.

The Kiwis turned in the latest of several textbook performances in moving to the brink of victory on Wednesday, and seemed to have beaten back an Oracle revival that saw the United States boat win two thrilling races over the weekend.

But Thursday's first race suggested the momentum could be shifting once again as Oracle showed the speed, tactics and boat handling it needs to match the polished Kiwi team.

"We have to finish this thing," said Ben Gordon, a New Zealander who lives in San Francisco. "The boat's are dead even and it's getting a bit dodgy."

There will be two races - if required - on Friday.

Wednesday's second race was also postponed because of a strong breeze and outgoing tide.

The AC72 catamarans can attain speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, but are hard to control and potentially subject to capsize and equipment failure in high winds.

The Kiwis are seeking their third America's Cup, having won in 1995 and in 2000.


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Sunday, 15 September 2013

Oracle America's Revival

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Oracle Team USA revived their flagging hopes with an impressive display in the America's Cup on Saturday as Team New Zealand came close to calamity.

The holders won race eight by 52 seconds after the Kiwis came within inches of capsizing, to narrow the overall score to 6-0 to New Zealand.

Saturday's second race was abandoned after the start because of high winds.

New Zealand need three more wins to clinch the Cup, while Oracle need to win nine after a two-point penalty.

The American outfit, bankrolled by software billionaire Larry Ellison, have won two races but were docked two points for illegal modifications in the America's Cup warm-up series.

In San Francisco, the defending champions have been under serious pressure from the start in the face of a faster New Zealand boat upwind and slicker Kiwi crew work.

After going 4-1 behind in wins, Oracle promoted Britain's four-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie from warm-up skipper to tactician on Thursday, and made a series of technical adjustments to the boat for Saturday's races.

The changes appeared to pay dividends in race eight as Oracle displayed impressive pace on the windward third leg to claw back the Kiwis lead from the start.

In a tight upwind battle, the decisive moment came when Team New Zealand almost tipped over after the rigid wing sail got stuck on the wrong side during a tack. As well as losing momentum, they were penalised for impeding Oracle and the Americans sailed clear to a stunning victory.

Race nine was abandoned with New Zealand leading early on leg three because the wind had exceeded the 22.6-knot limit during a five-minute period. It has now been rescheduled for Sunday.

The winners of the 162-year-old America's Cup get to decide the format and venue for the next event.
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Friday, 13 September 2013

Ben Ainslie Tests Oracle

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Sir Ben Ainslie was unable to reverse the fortunes of his struggling Oracle Team USA as the defending champions lost two more races to Emirates Team New Zealand in the America's Cup.

Britain's four-time Olympic champion was drafted in for his Cup debut but the Kiwis extended their lead to 6-0.

Oracle have won a race but were docked two points for illegal modifications and they are effectively on minus one.

The first team to nine wins will claim the 162-year-old America's Cup.

Ainslie, 36, was called up from his role as Oracle's warm-up skipper to replace veteran tactician John Kostecki, 49, on Thursday, with the under-fire holders searching for a way back into the 34th America's Cup.

But despite Ainslie's five Olympic medals, he could not compensate for Oracle's lack of pace upwind.

In Thursday's first race on San Francisco Bay, the US team - with only one American actually on board - won the start and led by 12 seconds around the second mark.

But Ainslie's crew were overhauled by the faster and slicker Kiwi outfit on the upwind leg and Dean Barker's Team New Zealand sailed away to win by 47 seconds.

In race seven, Barker's men were first at the start and extended their lead around the five legs to win by their second biggest margin of 66 seconds.

"The first start was a shocker. I was half asleep throughout that one," said Barker. "But full credit to the guys, we stuck with it and took our chance upwind.

"The second one I was conscious I had let the guys down and it all worked out pretty much as I hoped."

Team New Zealand dominated the event's first three races in the revolutionary 72ft catamarans, before Oracle hit back in race four on Sunday.

But, after a rest day, the Kiwis again impressed with their speed and boat handling to win race five by 65 seconds following a number of tactical errors by Oracle.

The Larry Ellison-bankrolled Oracle team appeared to be rattled and played their one "postponement card" of the regatta, to call off race six and "regroup".

But the Kiwis are now just three wins from reclaiming the Cup they last won in Auckland in 2000.

The winners of the event earn the right to choose the format and venue of the next America's Cup, the oldest trophy in international sport.


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Wednesday, 11 September 2013

Emirates NZ Take America's Lead

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Emirates Team New Zealand took a 4-1 stranglehold on the America's Cup with a resounding win over holders Oracle Team USA in race five in San Francisco.

The Kiwis won by a huge 65-second margin before the Americans played their joker to postpone race six.

The first team to nine wins will claim the 162-year-old trophy, but Oracle were penalised two points ahead of the regatta and are effectively minus one.

"We need to go back and regroup," said Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill.

"We feel they've got a bit of an edge on us, especially upwind."

Oracle incurred the penalty for illegally modifying their 45-foot catamaran in the event's warm-up series and must win 11 races to keep the Cup.

Team New Zealand dominated the event's first three races in the revolutionary 72ft catamarans, before Oracle hit back in race four on Sunday.

But, after a rest day, the Kiwis again impressed with their speed and boat handling and appear to have the Larry Ellison-bankrolled Oracle team rattled.

The Americans won the start and the sprint to the first mark and built a decent lead on the downwind leg to the second mark behind Alcatraz Island.

But a clumsy tack slowed down their boat and the Kiwis were able to sail past going back upwind towards the Golden Gate Bridge to win by more than a minute.

"It's a tough way to win races, but it's working for us," said New Zealand skipper Dean Barker. "We have plenty to work on, but it was encouraging to get back in the race."

Shortly before race six, Oracle announced they would be using their "provisional card" to call off racing for the day.

"We need to up our game," said Australian Spithill. "We're not going to hide from that. We're going to make sure we step up for the next one. It's a team decision."

Wednesday is a rest day so racing will resume on Thursday.

The winners of the event earn the right to choose the format and venue of the next America's Cup, the oldest trophy in international sport.


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