America's Cup challengers join the iShares Cup
'BMW Oracle Racing will be entering two teams in the iShares Cup in Cowes'
BMW Oracle Racing © Photo Gilles Martin-Raget Click Here to view large photo
BMW ORACLE Racing will join the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week, with a two-boat Extreme 40 entry sailed by some of the world's top sailors.
Legendary sailor Russell Coutts (NZL), will skipper one of the two Extreme 40s - Coutts is considered by many to be one of the greatest sailors of all time, having won an Olympic gold medal, three America's Cups and multiple world championships. He will be joined by multihull expert Franck Cammas (FRA) in the afterguard, who has skippered the giant 'Groupama' trimarans to multiple ocean race victories and records.
On the second BMW ORACLE Racing boat James Spithill (AUS) will take the helm - the hugely talented match racer has a reputation for taking no prisoners at the starts so he'll be one to watch on the 11-boat start lines in Cowes. Spithill will be joined by Volvo Ocean Race and America's Cup-winning tactician John Kostecki (USA). The remaining four crew will be confirmed closer to the regatta, which takes place over August 2-4.
BMW ORACLE Racing, who are currently the challenger of record for the next America's Cup, have been training hard in the Extreme 40s because the next edition of the famous match racing contest will take place in multihulls. BMW ORACLE Racing will challenge America's Cup defenders Alinghi for the trophy, so the iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week in August will be the first occasion the two teams have locked horns on the water since the Louis Vuitton Act 13 in 2007.
The highly competitive iShares Cup arena is the ideal practice ground for the BMW ORACLE crew, who are currently building a new multihull for the next America's Cup - the two Extreme 40s recently competed at a special 'Just the Best' regatta in Italy (20-22 June) where Spithill and Coutts faced off in the cats, with Spithill's team earning the regatta victory.
'We are putting more time into racing the Extreme 40s now, as well as match racing,' Coutts said. 'Until the new boat arrives we will keep pushing our learning curve on multihulls as much as we can.'
But with nine other teams on the water in the iShares Cup racing in Cowes the America's Cup crews can't expect to have everything their own way. As Event Director Gilles Chiorri explained, 'Since the beginning of the season the fleet has been improving in power - in Lugano we had nine boats, then in Hy?res we had 11 and there was much more action on the water with all the teams pushing harder.
'Having such a race between BMW ORACLE Racing and Alinghi will be very interesting - Cowes is after all where the America's Cup began - and we know they have some very good crew in Franck Cammas, James Spithill and Russell Coutts. It will be very exciting for us to have such a high profile team joining us in the iShares Cup, but I am sure the other teams will give them a good run for their money.'
Sir Keith Mills, Team Principal of TEAMORIGIN - the British America's Cup challenger for the next multi-challenger America's Cup - welcomed the announcement, saying: 'I am really pleased to see BMW ORACLE Racing joining the iShares Cup circuit and back on the water racing against two other America's Cup teams, Alinghi and TEAMORIGIN, as well as the other competitors, it is sure to add increased interest in the circuit from a media and spectator point of view.'
TEAMORIGIN skipper Rob Greenhalgh, who is currently leading the iShares Cup circuit overall, added: 'The addition of BMW ORACLE Racing to the iShares Cup is great news. The circuit has been fantastic so far with some really top teams competing including two America's Cup teams so adding one more is sure to enhance the racing and increase general interest further. They are sure to be a strong team and it will be good to race against them.'
The other teams lining up for the third event of the 2008 iShares Cup at Skandia Cowes Week are: BT, skippered by offshore record breaker Nick Moloney; Holmatro, helmed by cat specialist Andreas Hagara; iShares, skippered by Olympian Hugh Styles; double British gold medallist Shirley Roberston on JPMorgan Asset Management, who won the first event of the circuit in Lugano; the innovative Oman Sail, skippered by Pete Cumming as part of a unique project from the Sultanate of Oman; Team Aqua, helmed by Kiwi match racer Cameron Appleton; and Volvo Ocean Race, skippered by Extreme 40 class innovator Herbert Dercksen.
See all the action from the previous two events at
www.iSharesCup.com
by Event Media
Maroochy River, QLD
