September 29 - October 5, 2013: Issue 130

RPAYC’s James Spithill Skippers the Oracle USA Team to Win the 34th America’s Cup

 Celebrations- © ACEA / Photo Gilles Martin-Raget.

 ORACLE TEAM USA stages massive comeback to win 34th America’s Cup 

SAN FRANCISCO (Sept. 25, 2013) – ORACLE TEAM USA won the 34th America’s Cup in a winner-take-all 19th race, defeating challenger Emirates Team New Zealand by 44 seconds in today’s clincher. Led by 35-year-old skipper Jimmy Spithill, ORACLE TEAM USA won by the score of 9-8.

This is the second America’s Cup win for ORACLE TEAM USA and Spithill, which won the 162-year-old trophy in Valencia, Spain, in February 2010. Then 30 years of age, Spithill became the youngest to ever skipper a Cup winning team.

In the past week ORACLE TEAM USA has steadily improved its boatspeed to the point where it could hydrofoil upwind at 30-32 knots, incredible performance never seen before in the America’s Cup. 

“It was a fantastic race. We wouldn’t have it any other way,” said Spithill, the two-time Cup winner. “We came from behind, the guys showed so much heart. On your own you’re nothing, but a team like this can make you look great… We were facing the barrel of a gun at 8-1 and the guys didn’t even flinch.

“Thanks to San Francisco, this is one hell of a day,” Spithill said.

ORACLE TEAM USA’s victory marks one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of sport. The team won 11 races to score the 9 points required for victory due to a penalty imposed by the International Jury. Just last Wednesday, Sept. 18, ORACLE TEAM USA trailed the series 8-1. With the challenger on match point, the defender closed out the series with eight consecutive victories. This was the third time in the history of the America’s Cup with a winner-take-all final race. 

Previously, the defender won in 1920 and the challenger won in 1983. Both times the winner rallied from a multi-race deficit, but never anything amounting to eight straight wins.

“This was a wonderful match of teams,” said Regatta Director Iain Murray, who’s been 

involved with the America’s Cup since 1983. “In the case of a boat coming from behind, 3-1 down as was the case with Australia II in 83, the shoe is on a different foot this time around. Then it was the challenger behind and this time it was the defender. But in the end we had great competition between two great teams, evenly matched, battling it out to the end.”

One million fans visited the official America’s Cup venues at Piers 27/29 and Marina Green since they opened on July 4, and hundreds of thousands more lined the shores of San Francisco Bay to catch a glimpse of the flying, foiling AC72.

 James Spithill with James Hardy when he was made an honorary member. Photo by Damian Devine.

 Winner’s Smile - Photo Author: © ACEA / RICARDO PINTO, courtesy Americas Cup.com

RPAYC’s James Spithill Skippers the Oracle USA Team to Win the 34th America’s Cup

James Spithill, a member of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club along with sister Katie and brother Tommy has skippered the winners of the 34th America’s Cup, Oracle Team USA to a close won victory.

James has been a Member of RPAYC for over 22 years, joining in 1990. he is a product of the RPAYC Youth Development Program, completing this program in 1995 and 

1996. he was coached at the time by Traks Gordon who also coached the 2013 Australian Red Bull Youth America’s Cup team (which had four RPAYC members on board, including the skipper Jason Waterhouse). 

Jimmy was made an Honorary member in 2010 in recognition of his incredible sailing success particularly in winning the previous America’s Cup in 2010. 

Achievements 

• 2013 America’s Cup skipper and helmsman Oracle Team USA. 

• 2010, as skipper and helmsman for BMW Oracle Racing James became the youngest ever winner of the America’s Cup. 

• He debuted in the America's Cup in 2000 with Young Australia. At the age of 20, he 

was the youngest helmsman in the America's Cup. 

• Three times Match Racing World Champion 1989/ 1999/ 2005 (runner up in 2003) 

• 2005 Melges 24 Worlds champion

• Australian Yachtsman of the Year 2005/06 and 2009/10.

• RPAYC Yachtsman of the Year – 2005, 2006 & 2010

Other RPAYC members involved in the America’s Cup:

• Dean Curtis – rigger 

• Andrew Coates – sail maker

An 18 year old Jimmy Spithill representing the RPAYC at a match racing event in NZ in 1997

 Biography Information and extra photos courtesy of Damian Devine, RPAYC. Americas Cup photos courtesy America's Cup.com