Alinghi Fights Back At Moet Cup

September 18, 2003 – San Francisco, CA – The Swiss ALINGHI team put on a clutch performance on Thursday, winning an exhilarating race over the ORACLE BMW Racing team, in the Pro-Driver series. The contest was a thriller, with two lead changes, and a penalty. It all made for exciting race viewing in perfect conditions – bright sunshine, and a moderate 12 – 15 knot westerly on San Francisco Bay. The local crowd took advantage, and there was a large spectator fleet, in addition to the thousands watching from shore.

Thursday had dawned with the decision that Race Four of the Pro-Driver series at the MOËT CUP had been abandoned and would be re-sailed, with the agreement of all the participants. ALINGHI, who had been trailing 3-1, after Wednesday’s races, now entered play on Thursday down just 2-1 and with an opportunity to even the score.

The situation was even more dire in the Owner-Driver series, where ALINGHI trailed 2-0. But Ernesto Bertarelli sailed a strong race, and led his Swiss team to its second win of the day.

It is now Larry Ellison’s team that is on the back foot, and the ORACLE BMW Racing squad will be sure to be ready on Friday.

MOËT CUP – Pro-Driver Series – Race Five of Seven
(with Race Four to be re-sailed)

ALINGHI (SUI-64) beats ORACLE BMW Racing (USA-76) – Delta 0:41

ALINGHI took control of this race in the pre-start. ALINGHI skipper Jochen Schuemann used his starboard tack advantage to force a dial-up. After the traditional circling and jockeying for position, ALINGHI and ORACLE BMW set up their run for the start line on starboard tack with Schuemann to windward, ORACLE BMW helmsman Gavin Brady to leeward, and time to kill. Both boats luffed to lose time, and Brady eventually decided to tack and duck behind ALINGHI. But he didn’t have enough time to return to full speed, and the start gun fired with Schuemann racing across the line, a full length ahead and to leeward of the American boat.

ALINGHI used this start line advantage to build a nice lead, midway through the race. On the second beat, Schuemann elected not to cover, and Brady, and ORACLE BMW skipper Chris Dickson, made him pay. Separating by over 1300-metres, Dickson found stronger wind on the right in the middle of the Bay, and as ALINGHI sailed up the shoreline, ORACLE BMW steamed past to lead by just 10-seconds around the top mark.

But on the final run, ALINGHI set itself up well, gybing first inside ORACLE BMW. When Dickson gybed, the Swiss team was able to roll over the American boat and make a pass. As Dickson and Brady tried to re-gain position from behind and to leeward, they came too close and when their spinnaker touched the mainsail on ALINGHI the Umpires assessed a penalty.

Schuemann was able to round the leeward mark with a slim lead, and covered loosely up the short beat to the finish. After completing a penalty turn just before the finish line, ORACLE BMW crossed 41-seconds behind.

MOËT CUP – Owner-Driver Series – Race Three of Five

ALINGHI beats ORACLE BMW Racing – Delta 0:35

There was a false start in this race, with racing abandoned in a close contest just after the start due to a miscommunication between race officials.

When the race re-started, the boats lined up for the start line with ORACLE BMW Racing owner Larry Ellison to leeward, and ALINGHI owner Ernesto Bertarelli powered up slightly to windward. Ellison luffed his counterpart aggressively, but Bertarelli stayed clear, and started close to windward, both boats on starboard tack.

Ellison was able to force ALINGHI to tack with two hard luffs after the start and Bertarelli claimed the right hand side of the course for the start of the leg.

The boats switched sides when ALINGHI was forced to tack by Alcatraz Island, and Bertarelli then worked up the shoreline, in front of the crowds lining the shore. Ellison enjoyed good wind in the middle of the course, but when the boats converged again, ALINGHI carried a 19-second lead around the top mark.

With this race being sailed on the short, three-leg, course, the ORACLE BMW Racing team couldn’t find a passing opportunity, and Bertarelli and his ALINGHI team, won its first race in the Owner-Driver series. ORACLE BMW now leads 2 –1 in the five race series.

Quotes of the Day:

John Kostecki on why his ORACLE BMW Racing team was penalized in the first race today: From what I hear, our spinnaker touched the backstay on ALINGHI and we had to give them room to keep clear.

Murray Jones on what ALINGHI did overnight to come out winning today at MOËT CUP: Let’s see, we came in and had a couple of beers, which helped us relax a bit. But really, we got our timing right on the starts today and that was difference. It’s a fine line, and today we did a great job on all the starts.

Juan Vila (ALINGHI) on figuring out the local conditions: Well it took us a while to figure it out, but we’re getting better at it. But we still have some things to learn, it’s very tricky. Every day can be different.

Jamie Gale on the perception of yachting as a sport: Where I grew up in New Zealand it’s not an elitist sport at all, it’s every man and his boat gets out and goes sailing…people are making great efforts to change that perception and I think events like this which are run in places like the harbor here, which is very spectator friendly, is good to promote the sport. You’ll never have the popularity of some other professional sports, but I think that it’s good that for people who do follow sailing that they can come and watch America’s Cup level yachting.

Moët & Chandon is the official sponsor of the MOËT CUP. Event partners include Oracle Corporation, BMW, Hewlett-Packard, and TAG Heuer. The Media Center is managed by the Louis Vuitton Cup team. Hewlett-Packard is the technology partner of the Moët Cup Media Center. The Golden Gate Yacht Club in partnership with the Treasure Island Sailing Center will run the MOËT CUP on-the-water Race Committee.

Information about the MOËT CUP and race results and updates during the event can be found by visiting the Golden Gate Yacht Club web site at www.ggyc.com.