Cup Experience

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Oracle Team USA training in Sydney through June 2014

 

Oracle Team USA training in Sydney

Oracle Team USA has shipped one of their AC45 catamarans to Sydney in order to train with Team Australia. OTUSA has not revealed any plans to sail in the Extreme Sailing Series. It appears they plan to train in AC45s in preparation for America’s Cup World Series racing that is planned to begin in 2015. Team Australia will sail in the Extreme Sailing Series as GAC Pindar.

In addition to Team Australia, other potential America’s Cup challengers who are sailing in the Extreme Sailing Series include Emirates Team New Zealand, Team France (as Groupama), Ben Ainslie Racing (as J.P. Morgan), Gazprom Team Russia.

OTUSA and Luna Rossa are the only America’s Cup teams that have not announced plans to sail in the Extreme Sailing Series.

 

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Oracle Team USA design team for 2017 America’s Cup

 

Showing that the “USA” in the team’s name is appropriate, OTUSA announced their design team for the 35th America’s Cup, stressing that 11 of the 18 designers are Americans.

OTUSA Design Team for 2017
OTUSA Design Team for 2017 America’s Cup      Photo: Amory Ross

Among the returnees from previous campaigns, wing design manager Scott Ferguson (USA) is back for a third successive America’s Cup with OTUSA. Wing designer and aero specialist Tom Speer (USA) also rejoins the team.

New team members include Len Imas (USA) and Hal Youngren (USA), who worked with Team New Zealand during the previous Cup, contributing to the design of a Kiwi boat that came within one race of winning it all.

“It’s still amazing to think that the final was so close, and that it all came down to one last race,” Imas said. “Now, it’s great to sit down with these guys, learn what they were thinking and to start work again with the new team.”

Design team members: Paul Bieker (USA), Dimitri Despierres (FRA), Len Imas (USA), Hal Youngren (USA), Aaron Perry (USA), Bryan Baker (USA), Juan Vila (ESP), Scott Ferguson (USA), Christoph Erbelding (GER), Thomas Hahn (GER), Steven Roberts (FRA), Jose Luis Vela (ESP), Tom Speer (USA), Eric Jolley (USA), Andrew Gaynor (USA), Ian Burns (AUS), JB Braun (USA), Kurt Jordan (USA)

 

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Spithill rejoins Oracle for 35th America’s Cup

 

Spithill-TK-KL-GMR

Oracle Team USA has confirmed that Jimmy Spithill will return to the team for the 35th America’s Cup. Spithill has had discussions with other teams, and said, “There were some very good offers out there, but at the end of the day, Russell and Larry, I wouldn’t be here without them…”

“This team is very competitive. The top guys are always surrounding themselves with very good people. There is no micromanaging on this team by Larry or Russell. They almost give you the burden of trust and that allows people to grow and learn and ultimately become better at what they do.”

Spithill sees the America’s Cup as the ultimate team challenge, a measuring stick for the individual in a team environment.

“It’s so difficult to pull it off. But when you go through it all and you do it as a team and you do pull it off, it’s just so rewarding,” he says. “As a person, you learn a lot about yourself through these campaigns. I enjoy that it’s a team environment, where you’re working towards a goal but learning about yourself and trying to get better each day. This is one of the ultimate tests, athletically, mentally and in team management, that you can find. It’s very addictive!”

As he looks ahead to the 35th America’s Cup, Spithill says he thinks ORACLE TEAM USA will once again be pushed to the limit as the American team attempts to win the Cup for the third consecutive time, saying, “It’s going to be one hell of a battle, one hell of a fight,” he says. “I just can’t wait to get back out on the water and get racing. The prospect of going head to head with a few of these teams and the personalities involved… It’s hard to wait to be honest. I’m looking forward to training and to racing in the AC World Series again.”

Australian by birth and now living in his adopted city of San Diego, Spithill has helmed for Italian and American teams and does not think nationality rules should be instated, saying, “I think people should be on the boats based on talent, not the color of their passport.”

As a 20 year old Spithill was skipper of the Young Australia team in the 1999/2000 Louis Vuitton Cup. After YoungAustralia was eliminated he was hired by the America One challenge to help them prepare for their Louis Vuitton Cup final against Luna Rossa.  He has twice been hired by teams he beat in Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals:  In 2003, as helmsman of OneWorld he defeated Luna Rossa’s Francesco De Angelis who then recruited him to Luna Rossa for their 2007 campaign. At the helm of Luna Rossa in 2007, he knocked Oracle Racing out 5-1. Oracle Racing then hired him as helmsman of their giant trimaran for the 2010 Deed of Gift match against defender Alinghi.

Original article on team website.

 

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Slingsby re-signs with Oracle Team USA

 

Oracle Team USA strategist Tom Slingsby confirmed that he will stay with the defender for the 35th America’s Cup.

Late September comments from Russell Coutts praising strategist Tom Slingsby:

“In my view, one of the guys who didn’t get enough credit was Tom,” Russell Coutts, Oracle’s chief executive officer, said on the day Oracle won the Cup in San Francisco. “The AC72s are in many ways a small-boat mentality, and I can tell you, five weeks ago, a lot of what Tom Slingbsy was proposing proved to be right. There’s a guy of the future.”   Read full article.

From the official announcement:

“I had a really good experience last time and Oracle was great to me as a team. I know how good the people are who get involved in with this team, from the designers to the sailors,” Slingsby said. “Signing with Oracle gives me the best chance of winning another America’s Cup which is what I want to do.”

Read the full article.

 

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Will Spithill stay with Oracle Team USA?

 

As of January 2014 there has been no confirmation that Jimmy Spithill will stay with Oracle Team USA. What we have seen is:

A September article about Spithill as a “free agent.”

During an appearance in San Diego, Spithill said that while he’s been in talks with software tycoon Larry Ellison to return to Oracle Team USA, he’s also had overtures from other syndicates as they scramble to fill key roles for the 35th America’s Cup, which probably won’t be sailed until 2017. He’d like to have an agreement in place within a few weeks.

“I’ve really enjoyed myself with the team. Larry Ellison, he and I are good friends, he’s a great teammate,” Spithill said. “I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for Larry. But also, I’ve been approached by a lot of teams and I need to weigh them all up. Larry and I are speaking and we’ll just have to see how things turn out.”

“But look, to be part of Oracle Team USA, to have won the Cup, to have defended it, back-to-back, has been really special. It’s been a great team to be involved with.”

Read full article.

Early December New Zealand radio interview:  

“I’m just getting myself organised. I’ve been so busy after the last cup. Larry and Russell have been real mentors to me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working there. To win the cup twice back to back, I want to do it a third time.”