"With our two boats, we always want to simulate the pressure of match racing that the others put on each other," said Jimmy Spithill, one of the two Oracle Racing drivers. "Sometimes things go wrong, but you have to risk that if you push to the maximum." What is not said: Oracle is the only team that has the luxury of several AC45s and also the one that can easily afford such a faux pas. The press office also discreetly concealed the fact that two Australian superstars were sitting at the tiller during the incident.
It logically happened on the last day of practice when both boats had luffed into the wind and Darren Bundock tried to drop behind the stern of Spithill, but misjudged the distance in the 20+ knot San Francisco breeze. This resulted in a bang and a crash in which a bow of Bundock's boat (No. 4) caught the port hull of Spithill (Coutts, No. 5) amidships. The scene was reminiscent of Alinghi's mega-crash against Roland Gäbler at the Extreme 40 regatta in Istanbul last season.
Luckily, at the time of the collision there wasn't too much steam on board, so it was more of a graze than a direct hit. The dinghy was quickly on the scene with heavy pumping equipment to keep the damaged vehicle afloat. There were no casualties, as the sailors had seen it coming and were able to get to safety in time. Now it is the turn of the workshop, which will have to replace the hull while the team travels to Naples for the season opener of the America's Cup World Series. Last year, the chips were also flying at Oracle before the start of the season. "It always happens on the last day of training or before a long weekend," was the sarcastic comment from a service man.
An appetiser for the upcoming AC45 season
To the Report.
