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Oracle thrashes OneWorld
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (Reuters) -- Software billionaire Larry Ellison's Oracle BMW Racing crushed bitter U.S. rival OneWorld by more than four minutes on Friday to take an early advantage in the America's Cup challengers semifinals series. OneWorld started the series, known as the repechage, on minus one after it was penalised a point in a long-running spy scandal. Oracle now has a two-point break when it beat OneWorld by four minutes and eight seconds in the first race of the best-of-seven race series. The winners of the repechage will sail leading contenders Alinghi of Switzerland in the challengers final next month. OneWorld, the $75 million team backed by telecoms investor Craig McCaw and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, started just ahead of Oracle in light winds in the Hauraki Gulf off New Zealand's largest city Auckland. But Oracle skipper Chris Dickson steered Ellison's boat into a 42 seconds lead by the first mark in the six-leg race. OneWorld, led by Australian skipper Peter Gilmour and helmsman James Spithill, clawed its way back to put the pressure on Oracle and were behind by only 10 seconds as the two boats rounded the final mark for the run to the finish. But OneWorld's race fell apart on the final leg as the two boats chose different parts of the course. Oracle stayed near the centre of the course as OneWorld gybed away in search of stronger wind. The opposite proved the case and Oracle led by more than 200 metres halfway down the final leg. Oracle was sailing about two knots faster than OneWorld near the end and crossed the finish line about 600 metres ahead. The arbitration panel imposed the one-point penalty on OneWorld for all remaining stages of the regatta after it was found to have boat design secrets from other teams. OneWorld overcame its penalty to defeat defending challengers champions Prada of Italy 3-2 in their elimination semifinal on Tuesday to reach the repechage. Oracle was forced into the repechage after being beaten 4-0 by Alinghi in the "double chance" semifinal. The winner of the challengers series will sail holders Team New Zealand in the America's Cup in February 2003. Copyright 2002 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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