Oracle Team USA

Oracle Team USA is an American yacht racing syndicate initially formed to compete for the 2003 America's Cup. They competed again in the 2007 event before winning the 33rd America's Cup regatta in 2010 – representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club. The team also won the 34th America's Cup in 2013.

Oracle Team USA
Career
Yacht club Golden Gate Yacht Club
Established2000
Nation United States
Team principal(s)Larry Ellison
CEORussell Coutts
SkipperJames Spithill
Notable victories2010 America's Cup
2013 America's Cup
Yachts
Sail no.Boat name
USA–71USA 71
USA–76USA 76
USA–87USA 87
USA–98USA 98
USA–17USA 17
Team Oracle AC 72 boats

The syndicate was initially named Oracle for the 2003 campaign and backed primarily by Larry Ellison, the co-founder and CEO of Oracle Corporation, but was renamed in August 2004 to Oracle BMW Racing to reflect the German company's role, and subsequently revised again to BMW Oracle Racing to reflect increased involvement from BMW. At the end of December 2010 it was announced that by mutual agreement of both partners, BMW was bringing to a close its longstanding partnership with Oracle Racing and thereby ending its involvement in the America's Cup.[1] Subsequently, the syndicate was renamed to Oracle Team USA to compete for the 2013 34th America's Cup.

History

31st America's Cup (2003)
Main article: 2003 America's Cup

The team was created by purchasing the assets of Paul Cayard’s AmericaOne syndicate which was the losing finalist against Luna Rossa in the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup. The syndicate got off to a rocky start with changes in the skipper position, alternating between Cayard and Chris Dickson, to Dickson alone, to Peter Holmberg, and then back to Dickson. Bob Wylie was a key member of the 2003 team contributing mainly to the tactics. Oracle reached the finals of the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup, losing to Alinghi 5–1.

32nd America's Cup (2007)
Main article: 2007 America’s Cup

BMW Oracle Racing through the GGYC was the Challenger-of-Record for the 2007 America’s Cup which was held in Valencia, Spain. BMW Oracle Racing, lost to Luna Rossa Challenge 5 to 1 in the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup Semi Finals.

33rd America's Cup (2010)
Main article: 33rd America's Cup

Larry Ellison hired Russell Coutts to be the CEO of the 33rd America's Cup campaign. In July 2007, the Golden Gate Yacht Club, sponsoring BMW Oracle Racing, filed a challenge with the Société Nautique de Genève for the 33rd America's Cup stating that they did not believe that SNG's hand picked challenger, Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV) was a qualified club under the Deed of Gift.

After extensive court action, Golden Gate Yacht Club was declared Challenger of Record and sailed against SNG's team: Alinghi, in February 2010 in Valencia, Spain.[2][3] The competing boats, Alinghi 5 and USA 17 were both 90-foot multihulls.

BMW Oracle Racing won the America's Cup on February 14, 2010, off Valencia, Spain, beating Alinghi 2–0 in the best-of-three series and becoming the first American syndicate to win the cup since 1992.[4] The rigid wing sail of USA 17 provided a decisive advantage and Golden Gate Yacht Club won the 2010 America's Cup by a considerable margin.

2011–13 America's Cup World Series

Oracle Team USA competed in the 2011–13 America's Cup World Series. In August 2013, the competition jury received a report from Oracle Team USA that their boat and others they had loaned had unauthorized modifications.[5] The team withdrew from the competition on 8 August 2013.[6] Penalties imposed included expelling three team members,[7] a $250,000 fine, and a one-point penalty for each of the first two races of the Match in which they would otherwise score a point.[8]

34th America's Cup (2013)
Main article: 2013 America's Cup

Oracle Team USA's Larry Ellison declared that the 34th America's Cup would be sailed on AC72 class wing-sail catamarans.

Oracle Team USA experienced the first major accident involving the new AC72 class, when the boat capsized during training off San Francisco on October 16, 2012.[9]

Oracle Team USA successfully defended the trophy and won the 2013 America's Cup on September 25, 2013. They accomplished this achievement by coming back from 7 points down and one point away from defeat in the series, and completing the largest in-series comeback in America's Cup history.[10][11][12] The Wall Street Journal later called it "one of the greatest comebacks in sports history".[13]

2015–16 America's Cup World Series

Oracle Team USA was runner up in 2015–16 America's Cup World Series.[14]

35th America's Cup (2017)

Oracle Team USA was the defender of the 35th America's Cup. The event took place in the Great Sound of Bermuda in 2017, with challenger selection through the 2017 Louis Vuitton Cup on June 5–25. The finals against Emirates Team New Zealand were June 17–26. The new AC50 class rule governed the races; Oracle Team USA launched their yacht in February 2017. Oracle Team USA ultimately lost the challenge 7–1 to Emirates Team New Zealand.

36th America's Cup (2021)

Oracle Team USA did not issue a challenge within the initial challenging deadline for the 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada, June 30, 2018, ending Oracle's fifteen year presence in the Cup races.[15] Oracle Team USA skipper James Spithill previously indicated he was returning to challenging team Luna Rossa for that competition.[16]

Boats
BMW Oracle's USA-17 training off Valencia, Spain in late January, 2010

The BMW Oracle/Oracle USA team has owned a number of boats, including:

Miscellaneous

The team also appeared on the Series 20 premiere of Top Gear, emerging victorious in what was called by some a Cat Vs. Car race. Set in New Zealand, it matched Oracle in its AC45 with James May as a passenger against Jeremy Clarkson in a rented Toyota Corolla or Toyota Auris from the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula to the northern tip of New Zealand's North Island.

References
  1. "America's Cup: BMW ends partnership with Oracle Racing". Charterworld. 2010-12-24. Retrieved 2012-12-28.
  2. "Scuttlebutt News: Cory E. Friedman – 33rd America's Cup". Sailingscuttlebutt.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. Golden Gate Yacht Club v. Societe Nautique De Geneve (New York Court of Appeals 2 April 2009).Text
  4. "USA Win 33rd America's Cup Match". SAIL! × BULKHEAD magazine. February 14, 2010.
  5. Gavin Clarke, Oracle Team USA sailors admit breaking America's Cup rules, The Register, 12 Aug 2013. Retrieved 30th July 2016.
  6. America's Cup Jury, Jury Notice JN096, 8th August 2013
  7. "JURY CASE AC31, JURY NOTICE JN116, Allegation of Gross Misconduct, DECISION and PARTIAL LIFTING OF THE CONFIDENTIALITY ORDER" (PDF). Americas Cup Jury. 2013-09-03. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 October 2013. Retrieved 27 September 2013. DECISIONS ON PENALTIES
    105. Bryce Ruthenberg is excluded from further participation in any role in the 34th America's Cup.…
    106. Andrew Walker is excluded from further participation in any role in the 34th America's Cup.…
    108. Matt Mitchell is excluded from sailing on a Yacht competing in the Match for the 34th America's Cup until 4 races have been completed.…
    109. Dirk de Ridder is excluded from further participation in any role in the 34th America's Cup.
  8. "Jury Notice JN117", 3 September 2013,
  9. Fisher, Adam (May 9, 2013). "The Boat That Could Sink the America's Cup". Wired. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  10. "Live Analysis: America's Cup, Oracle USA vs. Emirates New Zealand". NY Times. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  11. "Oracle Team USA completes greatest comeback in America's Cup history, defeating Emirates New Zealand". New York Daily News. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  12. "Ben Ainslie leads Oracle Team USA to remarkable 9–8 victory over Emirates Team New Zealand". The Independent. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  13. Stu Woo (February 28, 2014). "Against the Wind". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 12, 2014.
  14. Land Rover BAR Wins America's Cup World Series, Sailing World, 21st Nov 2016
  15. Rossa, Luna. "ENTRIES REMAIN OPEN WHILE INITIAL 36th AMERICA'S CUP, RNZYS CONFIRMS CHALLENGERS ACCEPTED – Luna Rossa". lunarossa-challenge.americascup.com. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  16. "Jimmy Spithill linked to America's Cup return with Italian syndicate Luna Rossa". Stuff. 11 March 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  17. "Lucky 17". America's Cup. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
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