Oracle BMW Racing Wins The Moet Cup - Ellison Sweeps Pro And Owner-Driver Series

September 20, 2003 – San Francisco, CA. Saturday dawned with the promise of an exciting conclusion to the MOËT CUP and in the event, it didn’t disappoint. Both the Pro-Driver and Owner-Driver series would take a final, winner-takes-all race to determine the ultimate victor.

San Francisco proves to be quite the venue for a spectator-friendly event. Photo © Chuck Lantz - www.2007ac.com

Sailing on his home waters of San Francisco Bay, Larry Ellison and his ORACLE BMW Racing team sailed a flawless final race in the Pro-Driver division, winning the start and protecting well, to defeat the defending America’s Cup holders, ALINGHI.

The ORACLE BMW team followed that up by winning the final Owner-Driver race as well, sweeping both series of the MOËT CUP.

Ellison enjoyed the home support of over 300 spectator boats on a glorious day on San Francisco Bay. Under bright sunshine, the two America’s Cup boats danced across the bay, to the thrill of the weekend crowds on the shoreline.

After the racing, Ellison and his team were relayed to shore in a team chase boat, and the traditional Moët & Chandon champagne celebration started at the dock, with the team spraying a jubilant Ellison with champagne.

Once ashore, the ORACLE BMW Racing team was presented with the MOËT CUP Silver Methuselah Trophy, and the Moët & Chandon Owner-Series Jeroboam Trophy. In addition, Larry Ellison won the Harold S. Vanderbilt Trophy, a perpetual trophy awarded for “excellence in yacht racing as a team principal and skipper.”

The MOËT CUP has proven a success on many levels. It provided thrilling, close action, bringing top-level America’s Cup match-racing back to the United States for the first time since 1995. The event was also a successful prelude to a series of events that ALINGHI, the America’s Cup holder, and ORACLE BMW Racing, the Challenger of Record, envision taking place in the years leading up to the XXXII America’s Cup in 2007.

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

ALINGHI beats ORACLE BMW Racing – Delta 0:24
Series tied 2 – 2

Larry Ellison saw this race slip away from him when the spinnaker pole broke on USA-76 as the crew attempted a difficult ‘gybe-set’, around the windward mark.

Ellison had sailed a strong race to that point, leveraging the right hand side of the race-course into a 17-second lead around the top mark. Skipper Chris Dickson and tactician John Kostecki had Ellison hold the right to take advantage of a right wind shift, and favorable current. The plan worked and USA-76 was in a strong position to win the race and the Owner-Driver series.

But with Ellison’s boat handicapped by the broken spinnaker pole, ALINGHI owner Ernesto Bertarelli attacked. Sailing with a symmetrical spinnaker, Bertarelli was able to pass USA-76 to leeward, and eventually rounded the leeward mark with a 20-second lead.

Alinghi's 17th man, actor/comedian, Robin Williams is interviewed on the dock after his first yacht race. Photo © Chuck Lantz - www.2007ac.com

Ellison couldn’t mount an effective attack on the short beat to the finish, and Bertarelli won the race, to force a fifth, and deciding match in the Owner-Driver series.

Comedian and actor Robin Williams was a guest on ALINGHI for this race, and the local celebrity proved to be a lucky charm for the team.

MOËT CUP – Pro-Driver Series – Race Seven of Seven

ORACLE BMW Racing (USA-76) beats ALINGHI (SUI-64) – Delta 0:32

ORACLE BMW Racing took control of this race at the start. On the final approach to the start line ALINGHI skipper Jochen Schuemann and ORACLE BMW skipper Chris Dickson were matched up well, sailing for the start line on port tack.

With both boats looking early, and ALINGHI to windward, Schuemann was forced to dip away from the start line. But USA-76 helmsman Gavin Brady held his nerve and hit the line with speed right as the gun fired. Schuemann crossed the line still building speed, and within moments found himself a full boat-length behind.

ALINGHI tried desperately to escape a tight cover, throwing in over 12 tacks as the boats sailed south of Alcatraz Island, but it was to no avail. The crew work on ORACLE BMW was flawless, and with that early advantage, Dickson extended to a 27-second lead around the top mark.

ALINGHI couldn’t find any passing lanes on the shorter, three-leg course, and could only watch as USA-76 crossed the finish line ahead of them to claim the MOËT CUP.

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

ORACLE BMW Racing beats ALINGHI – Delta 1:22

ALINGHI’s Ernesto Bertarelli was assessed a penalty in the pre-start of this race and that allowed Larry Ellison to take control of the match and win the series.

As the boats approached the starting line from deep in the start box, both teams were looking early for the start, and Ellison was in a controlling position, overlapping ALINGHI from slightly behind and to leeward, and pushing the Swiss boat towards the line. Bertarelli, to windward, was obligated to keep clear. At one point, SUI-64 luffed towards the wind, turning its bow away, but the stern of the Swiss boat swung towards USA-76, and Ellison was forced to turn to avoid a collision. The Umpires penalized Bertarelli under Rule 11, the windward-leeward rule.

Despite the penalty, Bertarelli managed a perfectly timed start, hitting the pin end of the line with speed right at the gun. Ellison started mid-line and held the starboard advantage up the early part of the beat.

The boats tacked up to leeward of Alcatraz, sheltering from the current, and then sailed up the city front, short tacking up the shoreline, just in front of the thousands who had gathered to watch the race. Ellison used his starboard tack rights to bounce ALINGHI to the left side of the course, and cover Bertarelli along the port tack layline into the mark.

USA-76 led by 25-seconds around the top mark, and sailed safely to victory, sweeping the MOËT CUP.

Quotes of the Day:

Larry Ellison on winning the MOËT CUP: I feel great. I’ve won and I’ve lost and winning is definitely better. If you want to see how good a sailor you are, you have to sail against the best in the world, and ALINGHI is the best in the world. I’m very proud of the team. We worked really hard for this. The racing couldn’t have been much closer. It was exciting and stressful.

A Moet Champagne-soaked Larry Ellison holds up of the Moet Cup trophy at post event prize givings. Photo © Chuck Lantz - www.2007ac.com

Ernesto Bertarelli (ALINGHI) on his impression of the MOËT CUP: It was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed sailing the boat and I look forward to more regattas like this. Certainly sailing an America’s Cup boat as an owner is a lot of fun.

Chris Dickson (ORACLE BMW Racing) on losing the first race today after breaking a spinnaker pole: We never like losing but until you cross the finish line in front, you haven’t won. Today, breaking the pole, we know at this level if you make a mistake…if anything goes wrong, ALINGHI is always there to take advantage. It’s been a tough week…so a big thank-you to our team for the job they did, and a big thank-you to ALINGHI for bringing their team here. It’s been fantastic racing.

Jochen Schuemann (ALINGHI) on the MOËT CUP: It was good to come here. I think it was very spectacular, a great show and good competition. We enjoyed the sailing, we even enjoyed – a little bit – losing the races (Ernesto Bertarelli is shaking his head at this!) because it’s still fun. It was windy, it was sunny and it was close enough to be exciting, so I think it was a great week.

Ernesto Bertarelli: It’s very therapeutic for us at ALINGHI to realize that you can’t just think you’re the best and not continue to work hard. I’m looking forward to new regattas next year on the East Coast, possible coming back to San Francisco, certainly in Europe and I hope that Larry will bring his team to Europe. This week was all that we hoped for, we’re very pleased.

Christophe Navarre (President, MOËT & CHANDON): I am very pleased. I’m very proud of this event and I would like to thank Ernesto and Larry.

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.