Posted on 09/25/2013 2:31:01 PM PDT by CivilWarBrewing
Skipper Jimmy Spithill and Oracle Team USA won the 34th America's Cup today in one of the greatest comebacks in sports history.
Spithill steered Oracle's space-age, 72-foot catamaran to its eighth straight victory, speeding past Dean Barker and Emirates Team New Zealand in the winner-take-all Race 19 on San Francisco Bay to keep the oldest trophy in international sports in the United States.
All but defeated a week ago, the 34-year-old Australian and his international crew twice rallied from seven-point deficits to win 9-8 Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
the 34-year-old Australian and his international crew
Ellison and his team led by New Zealander Russell Coutts, who was responsible for the Kiwi's Cup victories in 1995 and 2000, developed a new type of sailing event featuring the super-fast boats, state-of-the-art television coverage and scenic viewing areas along San Francisco Bay, all aimed at making sailing appealing to a wide audience.
It replaced its tactician with Olympic champion Ben Ainslie, made changes to its boat that gave it more upwind speed and showed vastly improved tacking and teamwork as the racing progressed.
What were the penalties for? Never heard except something happened last year.
Illegal equipment?
Illegal alien crew? Naw that would be celebrated.
Was Larry sandbagging at the beginning, or did it just take them a while to get their stuff together?
I would check the odds, movement of money and guess to say the fix was on .... remember Riggs and lesbian?
Am I the only one who is no longer impressed with "space-age"? It's been 56 years since Sputnik was launched, so we are further from the beginning of the space-age than the difference from the start of the "aircraft-age" in 1903 to Sputnik.
That wasn’t the goal.
The goal was to hold the cup and then they can make nationality requirements, which New Zealand had already indicated they would require if they won.
And you could make the same argument about them. Their boat was largely financed by the UAE.
This story is a tale of two comebacks however.
Golden Gate Yacht Club and the most incredible win in the history of sports.
You can google the back story of the first to get the incredibl tale, which ties in so nicely with this win, that it too will be discussed as a part of the history of this phenomenal race.
I say, old boy...yachting..not a great life, but a good one.
Comeback of the century. Really.
This race has become the province of very rich people who assemble international teams to win a cup that has lost its meaning. The New Zealand team may have received funding from the UAE, but its sailing crew was almost exclusively from New Zealand. Barker, the skipper, was from New Zealand. So was Ray Davies the tactician.
So Ellison with his all-star international crew and two yachts that were constructed so they could run against one another beat a team from New Zealand. It was the world against New Zealand and New Zealand almost won. It was a hollow victory for me and not worth the celebration. This was not Team USA anymore than it was Team UAE.
Way to go USA! The Aussies we hired beat the Kiwis.
I was on the Wind Spirit in 2006. A friend rented it for 134 friends and family.
It is one of the largest 5 masted ships in the world.
On our 1st night at sea we were in 12 foot seas, into the wind and a bunch of us drunk snowboarders went to the bow and played a game called planking.
That is; you put your feet together, facing the bow and stand as long as you can.
I don’t any of us snow boarders, in particular, those who had boating experience fell.
Freaking heelarryUs!
On our stop over in St Maarten we rented the two 12 meters from AC 1986.
I was told I would be on the Canadian ship and refused to get in.
I wanted on Stars and Stripes...period.
One of the gals graciously gave up her role on S&S and went to Canaduh.
HELL YEAH!!!
I was on a ship with nothing but jocks, some college age. Some had sailing experience and some on the same boat.
No way were gonna lose and we didn’t.
Wasn’t even close the 1st time.
The second race, our skipper thought it sporting if we tacked a bit more and maybe didn’t catch so much wind.
“Sure” we all agreed. Not like we’re gonna lose.
Well, we sucked right off our first gate and our friends were sailing away.
Must have some competitive thing in all of us as we yelled “We have to win!” Over and over.
Our skipper said “all right but, it’s hard work from here!”
“DO IT!!!” We yelled.
So he starts barking out orders and we are all grunting. Next I know we are on the side, laying over. I slap my head toward the water hoping to at least brush it.
I’m on jibe and can’t let go and my buddy across from me is giving it everything he has.
I’ll never forget the excileration as we sped past Canadub and then the aft of The Wind Spirit. All our friends we on deck and cheering us on.
Result? More yelling “Faster!!!!”
We tacked starboard and this great ship, Stars and Stripes, took off.
We were all laughing.
By the time we tied up, we were still waiting for Canada.
Learned later that if it’s all Americans racing each other then Stars and Stripes always wins.
One of my most memorable times ever.
Hell Yeah!
They took the penalty for doing and could have lost.
The real score is 11-8.
Amazing!
Dang!!
And nary a mention of what “sport” this might be.
Let me guess:
Kickball?
Am I the only one who is no longer impressed with “space-age”?
Freaking unbelievable!!! I only saw some of the early action on TV, when the NZ boat was trouncing the US boat and was way ahead. Everybody was pronouncing the contest essentially over.
Would be happier with Triremes or the Kon Tiki? /S
LOL!!! Jest Keedean!
Pretty sure the next race won’t have anything like the size of the boats and teams this one required.
Everyone is talking about making the race more accessible.
So the costs for the boats and teams will need to come down.
Methinks humblegunner doesn’t get out much at all.
NO WE DIDN’T.
AN AUSSIE SKIPPER WITH 13 OTHER FOREIGNERS PLUS ONE TOKEN AMERICAN WON.
This competition will never be real until they return to the boats ( hopefully real boats, not video game escapees) and the crews being from the country they supposedly represent.
That being said, it was an incredible never say die feat by a thoroughly professional crew. Congratulations.
I just wish it had been a victory for USA too.
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