BMW ORACLE Racing takes the winner's gun at the end of the round the island race. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
by Tim Jeffery
In a race marked with penalties, blown sails and broken equipment, BMW ORACLE Racing defeated TEAMORIGIN around the Isle of Wight by 1 minute and 55 seconds to win the Royal Thames Cup.
TEAMORIGIN leads BMW ORACLE Racing in the Solent just after the start. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
The race re-enacted the famous race of 1851 that gave rise to the legend of the America's Cup. Instead of a wooden schooner from America racing 14 British yachts, two America's Cup Class sloops constructed of carbonfibre sailed the 53 nautical mile course. But the outcome was similar: an American yacht won.
TEAMORIGIN kite tears. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
TEAMORIGIN leads around the fort, eastern Solent. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
"It was a fantastic day to go around the island. It was a lot more exciting that I thought it would be," said James Spithill, skipper of BMW ORACLE Racing. "Thanks to TEAMORIGIN. They put up a good battle on the water and we enjoyed every minute of it."
BMW ORACLE Racing plunges into a wave in the English Channel. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
TEAMORIGIN skipper Ben Ainslie said, "We started battling about 10 minutes before the start gun and then were overlapped for about an hour and a half. They sailed a great race, congratulations."
BMW ORACLE Racing in the English Channel. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
With the wind blowing from the northwest, the two crews were set up for an off-the-wind start on the clockwise course around the island. But in pre-start manoeuvres TEAMORIGIN was penalized for being a port tack yacht and not keeping clear.
BMW ORACLE Racing lead TEAMORIGIN around the back of the island. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
With the race underway, the two yachts were tight reaching with giant asymmetric spinnakers, heeling at great angles in the water churned frothy by a large spectator fleet trying to keep pace at 10 to 12 knots.
BMW ORACLE Racing in the English Channel. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
About 25 minutes into the race the two crews were off Ryde and on starboard gybe, with TEAMORIGIN only slightly ahead of BMW ORACLE Racing. Then the real fun started.
BMW ORACLE Racing in the lead off the southern part of the Isle of Wight. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
BMW ORACLE Racing off St Catherine's Point (southernmost tip of the Isle of Wight). Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
Spithill gybed away to port and Ainslie followed. With the wind now coming over the port side of the yachts, BMW ORACLE Racing was leading when TEAMORIGIN got a slight overlap to leeward. The rules for the race allowed for quick luffs in such a scenario, and Ainslie took advantage.
TEAMORIGIN liffed BMW ORACLE Racing but took the American yacht too far into the wind, for which it earned a second penalty. TEAMORIGIN had to immediately perform one of its 270-degree penalty turns and that allowed BMW ORACLE Racing to ´regain the lead.
BMW ORACLE Racing off Freshwater Bay, western Isle of Wight. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
BMW ORACLE Racing off the Needles. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
TEAMORIGIN regrouped quickly and moments later luffed again in another situation. Each crew was trying to get to the Nab Light Buoy first, because from there the course hardened up into the wind. Once on the wind, the trailing boat would be at a disadvantage.
BMW ORACLE Racing reaches the Needles first. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
As the crews went around No Man's Land Fort TEAMORIGIN held the lead, but as the crew doused the spinnaker it fell into the water and parts of it became wrapped around the keel. A TEAMORIGIN crewman went overboard to clear the entanglement and BMW ORACLE Racing opened a lead that it would not relinquish.
Overhead shot downwind, BMW ORACLE Racing. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
Overhead shot downwind, BMW ORACLE Racing. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
"It was full on action from 10 minutes to the start," said Shannon Falcone, mastman for BMW ORACLE Racing. "It couldn't have been a better spectacle going down the Solent. We broke two jockey poles in those luffing matches."
The race was part of The 1851 Cup, a match racing regatta between the two teams. Although today's race doesn't count in the standings, it will serve as a tiebreaker in the event the teams finish tied on points.
BMW ORACLE Racing leads TEAMORIGIN up the western Solent. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
BMW ORACLE Racing leads TEAMORIGIN (blowing a kite) up the western Solent. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
Racing for The 1851 Cup resumes tomorrow with three races planned on the Solent. Each race is worth 3 points per victory. TEAMORIGIN leads the series 4-1.
BMW ORACLE Racing leads TEAMORIGIN racing with Jaguar past the Gurnard Ledge buoy, near to the finishing line at the RYS, Cowes. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
BMW ORACLE Racing
The 1851 Cup
