An excellent week for Russell and his BMW ORACLE Racing Team
Sailing for the first time with Larry Ellison, on board a BMW ORACLE Racing RC 44, Russell had an excellent week in Cagliari, Sardinia, winning the match race event and finishing second of the fleet race event. Larry was steering the boat whilst Russell was the team’s tactician.
Who would have thought? The winner of the match racing event of the Cagliari RC 44 Cup is Larry Ellison, the only non professional helmsman involved in this event; a competition that reassembles some of the best match race skippers in the world and that is with no doubt the number one match racing event of the spring.
BMW ORACLE Racing wins the match race event ahead of Team Ceeref (James Spithill). Team Banco Espirito Santo (Ben Ainslie) and Team Aqua (Cameron Appleton) have both won six races but Ainslie gets the third spot on the podium thanks to his victory against Cameron Appleton.
With two races to sail on the last day of the Cagliari RC 44 Cup fleet race event, Armando Giulietti’s Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano was sitting at an enviable position, seven points ahead of Banco Espirito Santo. However, the situation was more complicated behind the leader, with four teams separated by five points including BMW ORACLE Racing nine points behind.
The first race took place in a light sea breeze. Team Hiroshi, BMW ORACLE Racing and Banco Espirito Santo went straight for the left of the course whilst Team Sea Dubai (third overall until then) opted for the right. Every point was crucial and all the leading teams were impatiently waiting for the first crossing to see who was right or wrong. Well, both options seemed to pay. Hiroshi rounded the windward mark in first, just ahead of Team Sea Dubai and BMW ORACLE Racing. The same scenario took place downwind, all the leading teams going to the right except Team Sea Dubai who went to the left. The tension was seriously rising as they neared the leeward gate, which they rounded in the same position once again. The only change within the leading boats finally took place on the last downwind leg, when BMW ORACLE Racing overtook Team Sea Dubai; a point that was going to cost them the podium.
At this stage, Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano could not loose the event any more. Team Sea Dubai was only two points ahead of BMW ORACLE Racing and two more ahead of Banco Espirito Santo: all but a comfortable advantage against Russell Coutts and Ben Ainslie.
Well advised, Larry Ellison got a perfect start on the pin end of the line. Also well in the game, and more central on the course, Team Sea Dubai and Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano managed to reach the windward mark a few boat lengths ahead of Oracle. The hunt for the last remaining points was on, and fascinating, with Banco Espirito Santo sailing precisely and smoothly to try to catch up on the leaders. Was it the pressure, bad luck? Team Sea Dubai went from first to third, then sixth and finally seventh over the arrival line, to the despair of their crewmembers. On the other hand, the experienced Ben Ainslie managed to lead Patrick de Barros to the third spot, grabbing the last place available on the podium behind Team Hiroshi – Città di Milano and BMW ORACLE Racing.
They said:
Larry Ellison, BMW ORACLE Racing: "This is a team victory, and I am thrilled to be part of it. The racing was fantastic and these boats are just unbelievable. I am very lucky because it is an owner’s class with pro sailors steering the match and Russell let me steer his boat… I think that this is an amazing accomplishment, and I am very proud of what we have done.”
Fleet race, final results after eight races (no discard):
(Name of team, helmsman, No of victories / defeats, points)
1) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, Armando Giulietti, 1, 2, 6, 4, 1, 3, 1, 1 – 19 points
2) BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison, 6, 1, 5, 2, 8, 6, 2, 2 – 32 points
3) Team Banco Espirito Santo, Patrick de Barros, 4, 5, 8, 3, 3, 1, 8, 3 - 35 points
4) Sea Dubai, Joki Hellmich, 3, 4, 1, 7, 5, 5, 3, 7 – 35 points
5) Team Aqua, Chris Bake, 9, 3, 7, 1, 2, 4, 7, 6 – 39 points
6) Ceeref, Igor Lah, 7, 6, 2, 6, 4, 9, 4, 4 – 42 points
7) Team Organika, Maciej Nawrocki, 5, 8, 3, 9, 7, 2, 6, 8 – 48 points
8) Beecom, Isao Mita, 2, 7, 9, 8, 6, 8, 5, 5 – 50 points
9) Cro-A-Sail, Miroslav Reljanovic, 8, 9, 4, 5, 10, DNF, 9, DNF – 67 points
10) Mascalzone Latino, Vincenzo Onorato, DNS, 10, 10, 10, 9, 7, 10, 9 – 76 points
Match-race, final results:
(Name of team, helmsman, No of victories / defeats, points)
1) BMW ORACLE Racing, Larry Ellison, 8/1 - 8 points
2) Team Ceeref, James Spithill, 7/2 - 7 points
3) Team Banco Espirito Santo, Ben Ainslie, 6/3 - 6 points
4) Team Aqua, Cameron Appleton 6/3 - 6 points
5) Cro-A-Sail, Morten Henrikson / Miroslav Reljanovic, 5/4 - 5 points
6) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, Sébastien Col 5/4 - 4 points (1 penalty)
7) Sea Dubai, Markus Wieser 4/5 – 4 points
8) Team Beecom, Jesper Radich 3/6 – 3 points
9) Mascalzone Latino, Jes Gram Hansen 0/9 – 0 point
9) Team Organika, Mateusz Kusznierewicz 0/9 – 0 point
RC 44 Championship Tour 2008 (after 2 events):
1) Team Hiroshi - Città di Milano, 40 points
2) Team Banco Espirito Santo, 75 points
3) Ceeref, 78 points
4) Sea Dubai, 81 points
5) Team Aqua, 84 points
6) Cro-A-Sail, 112 points
7) BMW ORACLE Racing, 120 points
8) Team Organika, 136 points
9) Beecom, 138 points
10) Mascalzone Latino, 164 points
11) Magia Alike, 184 points
11) Ekipa 44, 184 points
11) Jelik, 184 points
11) Jelik, 184 points
