International Capsules: U.S. boat wins back America's Cup

VALENCIA, Spain — Still bundled against the cold in his white foul-weather gear, software tycoon Larry Ellison hoisted the America’s Cup high in the air, then planted a kiss on the oldest trophy in international sports.

"Valencia — muchas gracias!" the self-made billionaire screamed, following the ride of his life across the Mediterranean on one of the most remarkable boats ever built.

The America’s Cup is back in American hands.

It was swept away from Europe by Ellison’s space-age trimaran, which has a gigantic wing for a sail and easily sped ahead of two-time defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland to complete a two-race sweep in the 33rd America’s Cup on Sunday.

"I am so proud of this team, I am so proud to be part of this team, and I am especially proud to bring the America’s Cup, once again, after a long absence, back to the United States of America," said the 65-year-old Ellison, the CEO of Oracle Corp.

The Auld Mug, as the ornate silver jug is also known, now belongs to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club.

BMW Oracle Racing CEO Russell Coutts, who has quite a bit of experience at winning the America’s Cup, popped the cork on a magnum of champagne and sprayed his boss, as well as tactician John Kostecki and skipper-helmsman Jimmy Spithill of Australia.

A blizzard of blue and silver confetti blew across the stage and fireworks went off across Port America’s Cup, a festive ending to a tumultuous 2½-year period that dragged the 159-year-old event to one of its lowest points.

Ellison and rival Ernesto Bertarelli — two of the world’s wealthiest men — had been locked in a court fight since July 2007, and it looked for a while like the result of this race was going to be contested off the water.

Alinghi raised a red protest flag on its giant catamaran late on the first leg of the triangle course during Race 2, leaving everyone wondering what it was about since there’s no communication off the boats.

The Swiss dropped the protest after the race, confirming Ellison’s win. They were unhappy about a prestart penalty, but decided it wouldn’t have an outcome on the race.

Asked if the Americans planned to drop litigation pending against the Swiss in the New York State Supreme Court, Ellison said: "The only thing we ever wanted was to beat Alinghi on the water with a fair set of rules. And that’s what we got today."

Bertarelli wasn’t at the handover ceremony, but he and Ellison briefly shook hands when the Swiss exited the post-race news conference.

The biotech mogul became the first European to win the America’s Cup in 2003 with a victory over Team New Zealand, and defended it against the Kiwis in 2007.

"Congratulations to the BMW Oracle team, their boat was faster," Bertarelli said. "They had a strategy, they got a little help from the legal system in New York and that always makes it difficult for us Europeans and that gave them advantages.

"They were faster, good on them," he continued. "We didn’t have a boat that was quite fast enough. We didn’t lay down. We fought as hard as we could and we exit with our head high."

The America’s Cup has been away from U.S. shores for 15 years, the longest drought since the schooner America won the silver trophy by beating a fleet of British ships around the Isle of Wight in 1851. Dennis Conner lost it in 1995 to Team New Zealand and Coutts, now a four-time America’s Cup winner.

Ellison and Kostecki were the only Americans on BMW Oracle’s crew for the clincher. The massive sailboat was steered by Spithill, who at age 30 was sailing in his fourth America’s Cup.

"The boys are just absolutely lit up," Spithill said as the boat headed into port in the Valencian dusk. "Larry’s stoked, Russell’s stoked and we just can’t wait to get back to shore to celebrate."

While Ellison’s fortune made the victory possible, the true star was his monster black-and-white trimaran and its radical 223-foot wing sail, which powered the craft at three times the speed of the wind, sending its windward and middle hulls flying well above the water. The wing has nine flaps on its trailing edge and allowed the yacht to sail closer to the wind, and therefore faster than the Swiss.

When the yacht hooked into a breeze, it seemed as if Spithill jammed down an accelerator.

One of the lasting images of this America’s Cup will be that of Spithill, decked out in technology seemingly straight out Star Wars, calmly steering from his airborne helm as the boat sped along the Spanish coast.

"It’s just such an awesome tool for racing," Spithill said.

The American trimaran took a 28-second lead rounding the first mark Sunday and powered toward the horizon while sailing across the wind on the second leg. The final margin for two of the fastest, most technologically advanced sailboats built was 5 minutes, 25 seconds.

"That was one hell of a boat race," Spithill said. "I enjoyed every minute of it."

Alinghi had to do a 270-degree penalty at the finish, the result of its second prestart blunder in as many races. The Swiss boat was in the starting box before the 5-minute gun sounded, giving BMW Oracle an instant boost.

While the Americans headed out to the left side of the course, Alinghi did a downspeed tack and took the right side. The move paid off when the Swiss gained during a wind shift and powered into the lead about a third of the way up the leg.

Alinghi crossed ahead of BMW Oracle approaching the first mark, but lost speed during a tack and the Americans sailed ahead — and never looked back.

"Unfortunately, you could see there was a little bit of a difference in the boats and that’s yacht racing," said Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth, a former crewmate of Coutts with Alinghi and Team New Zealand.

Ellison joins Harold Vanderbilt, Ted Turner and Bill Koch among the tycoons who’ve hoisted the silver trophy. He’s got a ways to go to catch Conner, though.

Conner won the America’s Cup four times and lost it twice. His victory in 1987 in Fremantle, Australia, was a bit more stirring, as he went Down Under with determination to reclaim the trophy he’d lost four years earlier, ending the New York Yacht Club’s 132-year winning streak.

Ellison and Bertarelli fought over their interpretations of the 1887 Deed of Gift, which governs the America’s Cup. Ellison’s syndicate eventually prevailed, forcing the rare head-to-head showdown.

This was only the second Deed of Gift match in modern times. The other was in 1988, when Conner steered his catamaran to a two-race sweep of New Zealand’s big monohull in San Diego.

The America’s Cup likely will return to its normal system of several challengers competing in sloops for the right to face the defender. Ellison confirmed, in a roundabout way, that Italian syndicate Mascalzone Latino will be the next Challenger of Record, helping to set the rules for the 34th America’s Cup.

The ornate trophy itself is headed for the Golden Gate Yacht Club, which sits on a public jetty in the heart of San Francisco’s cityfront, with views of one of the world’s most famous bridges and Alcatraz Island.

Rough estimates are that each side spent $200 million on their entire campaigns, a staggering cost for two races.

When did Bertarelli know the Cup was lost?

"The first race," he said. "The first beat. I was very surprised by the first 20 minutes of the race. We were out of range most of the time. We were surprised."

Alinghi waits to decide America’s Cup future

VALENCIA, Spain — Alinghi president Ernesto Bertarelli will wait before deciding whether the Swiss team continues sailing the America’s Cup.

BMW Oracle completed a 2-0 sweep of Alinghi on Sunday to win the contentious series after the international sailing classic had been stuck inside the court room since July 2007.

Bertarelli said that the American champion could "withdraw their lawsuit" to get the two-time champions interested in returning. BMW Oracle and Alinghi still have a Feb. 25 court date to determine whether the Swiss team’s sails were made in-country as the rules decree.

"They were faster, so good on them. Maybe I wouldn’t have done the same thing but that’s the America’s Cup — it’s not the European Cup so the Americans have a bit of an advantage and they take the Cup back home," said Bertarelli, who accused the New York courts of favoring its American opponent. "We did everything we could but we never went to court unless we were forced to."

Bertarelli said he would also be tempted if the sailing classic continues with multihull racing, with the high-technology boats flying through the water at three times the speed of wind.

"This America’s Cup was about speed," Bertarelli, who was at the helm both races, said. "Certainly for us with the investment we’ve made in the multihull it’s easier for us to stay with the multihull or go back to (last) version. Anything in between is a new beginning."

BMW Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill said it was a steep learning curve but he would welcome the futuristic boats again.

"There’s a lot of appeal there. You guys saw the boats out there today and that was pretty awesome to watch," Spithill said. "I can’t tell you which one is better, all I can say is that it just show you how good our sport is that we have such variety out there."

Bertarelli took a moment to warn BMW Oracle counterpart Larry Ellison about rushing into any rash decisions when planning the America’s Cup after an acrimonious campaign that sapped the sport of sponsors, fans and momentum following the exciting 32nd edition.

"Now it’s up to them to rebuild that. I think the Cup deserves it and they have a responsibility," the biotech billionaire said. "It’s for them to show us now what they can do."

The two sides started up in a New York court shortly after the 32nd edition when Alinghi signed a Spanish challenger which the courts rejected. The case dragged on over proposed rules to eventually set up the rare best-of-three grudge match — only the second time a short series has been raced and first since 1988.

"One thing I would like to assure everyone about the 34th America’s Cup is that there will be a completely independent jury, there will be completely independent umpires, it will be an independent group that manages the next America’s Cup," Ellison said. "And it will be a level playing field for all competitors."

Bertarelli said his team’s greatest achievement was "being the first European team to win the America’s Cup."

"There are a few things from hindsight I could have done differently but overall it was a pretty good run," Bertarelli said. "No regrets really."

-- Paul Logothetis

Surfboarding

Calif. surf contest reminds bystanders of sea’s power

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. — The Mavericks Surf Contest was no day at the beach for participants or spectators.

Unexpected waves breaking on shore Saturday swept dozens of spectators from their perches on the manmade jetty at the southern tip of Mavericks beach.

Most escaped with minor injuries but three were hospitalized with broken bones. Others needed plucking from the water. The near tragedy stood as a reminder of how dangerous the sea can be.

Authorities spent the rest of the day warning the thousands attending the event about the dangers of the ocean. They closed off vast portions of the beach, ushered people from the edges of nearby cliffs and shook their heads at what might have been.

While the debate over spectator safety raged on shore, South African Chris Bertish beat 23 other surfers and carried home the $50,000 first-place prize.

"It’s hard to explain how much water was moving around out there," said Bertish, who spent 36 hours traveling from South Africa to Half Moon Bay. "I took the worst beating of my life out there."

He said he will spend part of the prize money paying back his brother and two friends, who loaned him money to buy his airplane ticket.

Many of the spectators brought their children, pets and coolers with plans to pass a sunny Saturday watching elite surfers compete atop monster waves one-half mile from shore.

"We were very lucky that nobody was swept out to sea," said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Battalion Chief Scott Jalbert, whose department tended to most of the wounded.

A shaky and wet Pamela Massette left the contest almost immediately after arriving from her Corte Madera home 50 miles away.

"It just came out of nowhere and wiped us all out," she said, showing her bloody left hand and left knee. Her Nikon camera was destroyed. Many other spectators lost cameras, cell phones and backpacks as the waves swept the seawall.

Attendees and some competitors questioned the wisdom of allowing people so close to the waterline when high tides and epic surf were predicted.

"It was stupid," said Grant Washburn, a big-wave veteran and an original Mavericks surfer. "It was totally predictable and anyone who knows the spot knows not to put anything on the jetty.

Keir Beadling, chief executive of the company that manages the event, did not return several telephone and e-mail messages Saturday seeking comment.

Others said that no one could have predicted that several waves would have jumped over the jetty and injured people.

"It’s a force of nature that can’t be predicted," said the fire chief Jalbert.

The dangerous situation was recognized, but too late. Additional firefighters were on the way to clear the beach when the waves washed over spectators, he said.

Only after the unexpected large waves swept in during high tide did the National Weather Service post a high surf warning until 10 p.m. Saturday. The agency previously posted a less severe high surf advisory.

The surfing contest offers a $150,000 purse, making it the most lucrative big-wave contest in the world, even though it is held only when conditions are prime.

Competitors voted to schedule it because forecasts called for record-breaking waves, despite warnings that strong winds could make those breakers dangerously unpredictable.

Finishing behind Bertish were: Shane Desmond, Santa Cruz, second place; Anthony Tashnick, Santa Cruz; third place; Dave Wessel, Kailua, Hawaii, fourth; Carlos Burle, Brazil, fifth; and Kenny Collins, Santa Cruz, sixth.

The surf in the lineup reached 40-foot faces, and a shore-break of five to six feet washed over the beach and a seawall.

Two surprise waves knocked out barricades, a spectator platform and a large scaffold holding speakers broadcasting the contest, held in this tiny harbor town 25 miles south of San Francisco along Highway 1.

Marsha Poulin, of nearby El Granada, was at the water’s edge minutes before the first rogue wave struck. She said she was concerned that organizers were letting spectators get so close to the ocean, given the conditions.

"Just because they were letting us be here doesn’t mean it was safe," said Poulin, who left for higher ground just in time.

-- Paul Elias

Bowling

Williams wins USBC Masters

RENO, Nev. — Walter Ray Williams Jr. won his second U.S. Bowling Congress Masters title Sunday for his record 47 PBA Tour victory, beating top-seeded Chris Barnes 290-217 at the National Bowling Stadium.

"This is just another little feather. It’s just awesome," said Williams, who also beat Barnes in the 2004 USBC Masters final. "It’s hard to explain it better than that. To win any tournament is awesome, and the bigger ones are even better."

The victory also was Williams’ eighth career major title, tying him with Pete Weber and Mike Aulby for second place on the career list, two behind Earl Anthony.

"I really don’t envision that I can get to 10, but I’m not giving up yet," Williams said. "I’m going to go out there and plug along as good as I can, and the year that I’m no longer exempt out here, that’s when I will have had enough."

Williams, from Ocala, Fla., earned $50,000.

In the first game of the stepladder final, Ryan Ciminelli beat Mike Scroggins 246-229. Williams then beat Ciminelli 258-224 to advance to the championship game.