14/02/2010 Valencia (ESP) - 33rd America's Cup, BMW ORACLE Racing, Match Race 2 - crew leaving the dock. Image copyright Guilain Grenier/BMW ORACLE Racing.
by Jane Eagleson
The American challenger won the opening race over the defender, Alinghi, on Friday afternoon in Valencia, Spain, earning a critical first victory. The first team to win two races will be the winner of the 33rd America’s Cup Match.
"It’s early days still," cautioned team CEO Russell Coutts (NZL), after the race Friday. "We’re very happy with where we are but we are only a tiny way into this series now. There is much more work to do yet and we know we’re up against the best team out there."
On Saturday, the team didn’t sail, electing to focus on its preparations for Sunday’s race.
In the afternoon, design team director Mike Drummond (NZL) along with four of the other performance and design team members briefed the media at the team base, to give insight into some of the developments the team has made with its trimaran USA.
"What you’re seeing now with this boat is an accumulation of many things that we thought would make a significant difference to the boat," Drummond said. "The wing sail is a very visible item and an unusual one, but there are many other areas, that inside the team, we are very proud of."
On Saturday evening, the Race Committee informed the teams there would be no start before 12:00 CET on Sunday morning.
Crew List for Race 2 (same as Race 1):
Brad Webb (NZL) - Bowman
Simone de Mari (ITA) - Pitman
Ross Halcrow (NZL) - Jib Trimmer
Dirk de Ridder (NED) - Wing Sail Trimmer
Joey Newton (AUS) - Wing Sail Caddy
John Kostecki (USA) - Tactician
James Spithill (AUS) - Skipper/Helmsman
Matteo Plazzi (ITA) - Navigator
Thierry Fouchier (FRA) - Aft Pit
Matthew Mason (NZL) - Mast
BMW ORACLE Racing
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