Related News
USA stays alive with 5th straight win
Print Edition
Skipper Jimmy Spithill accelerated his 72-foot catamaran off the starting line and steered defending champion Oracle Team USA to its fifth straight win against Emirates Team New Zealand on Monday in San Francisco to stay alive in the America’s Cup.
Spithill, 34, and his brain trust of Olympic gold medalists — British tactician Ben Ainslie and Australian strategist Tom Slingsby — kept the American-backed boat ahead the entire way around the five-leg course on San Francisco Bay for a 33-second victory.
Oracle’s remarkable comeback from what seemed like certain defeat has closed the Kiwis’ lead to 8-6 and has all of New Zealand on edge.
Team New Zealand has been on match point since September 18, only to watch Spithill and Oracle’s improved 72-foot catamaran sail ahead in a determined attempt to keep the oldest trophy in international sports in America.
Oracle Team USA, owned by software tycoon Larry Ellison, has won eight races. But it was docked two points for illegally modifying boats in warm-up regattas called the America’s Cup World Series, so it needs three more wins to keep the Auld Mug.
The regatta would be tied if Oracle hadn’t been handed the harshest penalties in the 162-year history of the America’s Cup. Besides being docked two points, Oracle wing sail trimmer Dirk de Ridder was disqualified from the regatta and replaced by Kyle Langford four days before the match started.
Rebounding from the penalties is “not frustrating; it’s actually motivating, to be honest,” Spithill said. “We feel like we’ve made great progress with the performance of the boat. I think that was evident today in lighter air.
“We can win this Cup. They can take as many races as they want. But for us, we know we can win this Cup if we win the next few races.”
Because Race 16 was delayed a half-hour due to light wind, Race 17 was postponed.
New Zealand skipper Dean Barker said the Kiwis remain positive but know they have to improve.
“We still wouldn’t trade positions,” Barker said. “We still would rather be on match point than having to win three more. It is definitely a battle... and we need to be able to respond.”
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
