Oracle’s Spithill Wins America’s Cup Race

In a move that shocked spectators around the world, Team Oracle’s Jimmy Spithill and his crew were able to come back from last place and win the America’s Cup catamaran racing event this past Sunday. It wasn’t a pretty race for Team Oracle’s Spithill and the rest of the crew, but they were able to pull out of last place and pass every single one of the other catamarans as they raced down the coastal waters of San Francisco. Of course it didin’t hurt that the scoring system in place for the America’s Cup places greater emphasis on the final race, giving Spithill and his crew more points than the previous races. If you’re interested in learning more about Oracle’s “photo finish” in this past America’s Cup race, keep reading and we’ll give you the latest scoop on it.

Jimmy Spithill is the skipper of Oracle’s 45-foot long catamaran along with crew members Dirk de Ridder, John Kostecki, Jono MacBeth and Joe Newton. As you may already know, this isn’t Spithill’s first time racing a catamaran, as he and his crew barely won the first-place trophy back in August of this year by a one-point margin. In catamaran racing, it doesn’t get any closer than a single point difference.

It’s important to note that like many other catamaran racing teams at the America’s Cup, Team Oracle has two boars racing. So, can you guess who came in second during the most recent race off the coat of San Francisco? Yep, it was the other catamaran in Team Oracle. The final race was close in fact that Spithill and his crew beat the other Team Oracle catamaran by just 17 seconds, making it another close call for all those involved.

As stated above, one of the key factors that led to Spithill and his crew winning Sunday’s race in the San Francisco waters is the fact that extra points are awarded for the final race. During the previous races, only 12 points were given to the winning catamaran; however, in Sunday’s race, the winner got a whopping 40 points, which was enough to place them over the second catamaran by Team Oracle.

Of course this is just one of the many series in the America’s Cup catamaran race. If you keep your television tuned into ESPN, you’ll likely see coverage from this past race and news about upcoming races. There’s no denying the fact that Team Oracle has a pretty strong footing in this world-famous race, so keep your eyes for them in the future.