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The black and red twin-hulled boat races across the dream area off Bermuda. There are six sailors on board. Then, in a gybe, a mishap occurs: the Americans' test catamaran number 2 slowly lays on its side and the working area suddenly becomes a steep mountain for the crew. One sailor can't hold on and falls into the water. The others cling on as tightly as they can. The legs of the men on the empty hull dangle in the water. One is standing on the transverse wing. Finally, the racing catamaran lies almost still on its side. Skipper Jimmy Spithill published the video of the capsize a few hours after the incident. The title:"Hang on - hold on tight!"
None of the sailors on Oracle Team USA were injured during the capsize in 15 knots of wind. The boat also survived its involuntary swim off Bermuda largely unscathed. Only its electronic equipment was affected. "It was a very good exercise for us," said Spithill after returning to the harbour, "the boat capsized sideways and we were able to test our safety measures. We suffered some electronic damage in the hull, which was under water. We learnt a lot again. The guys then did a really good job of slowly righting the boat. We were actually able to sail back into the harbour without any help."
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
