BMW LIFESTYLE 10/11

BMW YACHTSPORT COLLECTION
THE BATTLE
OF VALENCIA.
The men on the “USA”,
the trimaran sailed by the
BMW ORACLE Racing Team
at the 33rd America’s Cup,
were driven by more than
just the wind, or their
innovative wing sail. After
all, this contest was about
the oldest and most coveted
trophy in international
yachting. And that is
something you only win with
a combination of team spirit,
technology and strategy.
The event, which was
conceived as a “Best of Three”
series, saw the BMW ORACLE
Team’s trimaran beat the
defending champion, the Swiss
Alinghi, two times in a row.
Teamwork was a key element of
this victory, but so was a special
innovation: the largest wing sail
ever built. At 68 metres, the sail
is more than twice as long as
the wing of a Boeing 747. The
triple hull of the 30-metre boat,
developed in collaboration with
BMW, is equally innovative. It
took 150,000 man-hours to
build by hand, using carbon
composite materials in order to
save weight. This lightweight
design makes the boat not
just extremely fast, capable of
reaching speeds up to 40
knots, but also very sensitive:
when handled incorrectly, the
BMW ORACLE can capsize
at speeds as low as 10 knots.
Unlike the victory itself, the
rules for the 33rd America’s
Cup were simple: whoever wins
two of the three races has won
the America’s Cup. The first
race on 12 February 2010 was
an up-and-down course: the
yachts had to travel 20 nautical
miles against the wind, and
then return. The “USA” crossed
the finish line 15:28 minutes
ahead of the Alinghi catamaran.
The second race on 14 February
was a triangular course with a
total length of 39 nautical miles.
BMW ORACLE Racing won
this race as well, this
time with a lead of
5:26 minutes.
Overall, the 33rd
America’s Cup once
again represented
a fascinating
combination of
tradition, innovation,
The BMW ORACLE Racing Team did not just have to contend with the forces
of nature, but also had to overcome language barriers. The team, led by New
Zealand skipper Russell Coutts, included members from many different
countries: America, Italy, France, Australia, the Netherlands and even Antigua.
As the boat sailed under an American flag, all commands on board were issued
in English.
dynamism and passion.
A combination that can also
be found in the current
BMW Yachtsport Collection.
QUICK LINK
www.bmw-shop.com/yachtsport
All products on catalogue
pages 88–93.
You can fi nd all the products at your BMW dealer or on the bmw-shop.com website.
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