Moet Cup latest

September match between Alinghi and Oracle BMW gathering pace

America’s Cup winner Alinghi and arch rival Oracle BMW Racing will face off during the Moët Cup in San Francisco in September as a tune-up event for the next America’s Cup.

The event, which will be sailed from 15-20 September, will pit the Louis Vuitton Cup finalists of the 2002-2003 Challenger Races in a revenge match on the San Francisco Bay, homeport of Oracle and the Golden Gate Yacht Club. The race will be a spectacular sight for spectators as it will be staged within viewing distance of Pier 39 and along the Marina District with the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge as the backdrop for stunning finishes.

The Moët Cup is set to recapture the drama of America’s Cup march racing as teams launch their campaigns for the 2007 event in Europe. In the first authentic America’s Cup match racing event in the USA since the trophy was lost to New Zealand in San Diego in 1995, the teams will go head-to-head in this scintillating world-class competition. The same international umpires, who governed the racing in New Zealand, will make immediate calls from patrol boats on the course to ensure a fair playing field.

“We are proud to launch the 2007 America’s Cup season here in San Francisco Bay with the Moët Cup. With many America’s Sup crew on board, Oracle BMW Racing, with Gavin Brady and Chris Dickson, will sail USA 76 and Alinghi with Brad Butterworth and Russell Coutts will race SUI64, the same state-of-the-art boats sailed in New Zealand earlier this year. We encourage the public to come down and view the action,” says Golden Gate Yacht Club Commodore Ned Barrett.

Cup winner Alinghi and Oracle BMW as Challenger of Record for the next event are working together to improve the 152-year-old competition. The Moët Cup is the first step toward making the event accessible to the general public and sailing fans worldwide. For the teams, the competition provides a training platform and the opportunity to try out new crews in an authentic racing environment.

Moët & Chandon is the official sponsor of the Moët Cup. Event partners include Oracle Corp, BMW, Hewlett-Packard, TAG Heuer and Henri Lloyd. The Golden Gate Yacht Club in partnership with the Treasure Island Sailing Centre will run the on-the-water Race Committee.