Oracle get the bubbles

After final day of the Moet Cup America's Cup class match racing in San Francisco

Saturday dawned with the promise of an exciting conclusion to the Moët Cup and in the event, it didn’t disappoint. In both the Pro-Driver and Owner-Driver series it would not be until the final, winner-takes-all race that the ultimate victor would be determined.

Ellison and the local team on Oracle BMW Racing enjoyed the home support of a 300-strong spectator fleet - mega yachts, cruise ships, row boats, tall ships, windsurfers - graced the Bay for the final day of the six day long regatta. Under bright sunshine, the two America’s Cup boats danced across the bay, to the thrill of the weekend crowds on the shoreline.


Moët Cup– Owner-Driver Series – Race Four of Five

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 favourable 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.

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.

Alinghi beats Oracle BMW Racing – Delta 0:24

Series tied 2 – 2


Moët Cup– Pro-Driver Series – Race Seven of Seven

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 with 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 Racing 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.

Oracle BMW Racing (USA-76) beats Alinghi (SUI-64) – Delta 0:32


Moët Cup– Owner-Driver Series – Race Five of Five

Alinghi’s Ernesto Bertarelli picked up a penalty in the pre-start of this race and that allowed Larry Ellison to take control of the match from the outset.

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 penalised 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.

Oracle BMW Racing beats Alinghi – Delta 1:22


With the American team winning both the Pro-Driver and Owner-Driver series, Larry Ellison's Oracle BMW Racing used their home waters advantage well to defeat the defending America’s Cup holders, Alinghi.

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.

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".

"I feel great," commented Ellison on their success on the water. "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."

"It was a lot of fun," agreed Ernesto Bertarelli. "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.

"It’s very therapeutic for us at Alinghi to realise 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."

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.