Ellison’s ‘Oracle Team USA’ Wins 34th America’s Cup

Day 15 of the Final Match at 34th America’s Cup. Photo by © ACEA / RICARDO PINTO, courtesy America’s Cup with express permission.

By Wendy Osher

In a come-from-behind victory, Oracle Team USA took the title in the 34th America’s Cup, held in San Francisco.

Oracle Team USA out-finished Emirates Team New Zealand by just 44 seconds in the winner-take-all final, with a score of 9-8, according to the event website.

Team Oracle was founded in 2000 by Larry Ellison, the chief executive of Oracle Corporation and majority owner of the island of Lānaʻi.

Skipper James Spithill led Oracle Team USA to the team’s second America’s Cup after their fist win in 2010 in Valencia, Spain.

Day 15 of the Final Match at 34th America’s Cup. Photo by © ACEA / RICARDO PINTO, courtesy America’s Cup with express permission.

In a press conference held this afternoon, and broadcast live on YouTube, Spithill commented, “It really is about never giving up.”

The team came back after being down 8-1 earlier in the week, and won eight consecutive races to secure the historic win.

“We finally broke the code and figured out what we had to do,” said Ellison during the press conference.

He continued, “I think this regatta was the most magnificent spectacle I’ve ever seen on the water. The San Francisco Bay is a great backdrop for a sailboat race. These 40-plus knot catamarans are absolutely amazing.”

Larry Ellison, surrounded by members of Team Oracle USA, hoists the trophy after taking top honors at the America’s Cup. Sept. 25, 2013 – San Francisco (USA,CA) – 34th America’s Cup – Final Match – Racing Day 15. Photo by ACEA/Photo Gilles Martin-Raget, courtesy America’s Cup with express permission.

“I think a lot of people who were never interested in sailing suddenly got interested in sailing. I think a lot of young kids will try out sailing… We tried by going to catamarans to make sailing a bit more extreme, a bit more friendly for the viewing audience and move it into a more confined area like San Francisco Bay so that people could watch first hand,” said Ellison.

“It really made sailing accessible to a lot of fans for the first time…  It’s no secret that these boats are expensive, and we’d like to have more countries competing next time, so we’re going to have to figure out how to accomplish both,” said Ellison.