-
Source: Reuters
How do you spend Sunday in Portugal if you are a billionaire? Well in the case of Oracle boss Larry Ellison you go yacht racing, not just on a boat you own but also in a regatta you bank-rolled along with envisioning and funding the yachting revolution of which the regatta is a part.
The scene is set for a perfect afternoon. What's to spoil it when you own it? Simple answer - Kiwis seeking revenge and getting it.
It all started so well for the boss and his employee James Spithill driving Oracle 4. The young Aussie America's Cup winner with his boss in the guest spot at the back of his AC45 flew into what looked like an unassailable lead.
Nobody told Dean Barker it was unassailable. The Emirates Team New Zealand skipper, still smarting from his loss to Spithill in the match-racing final, patiently bided his time and looked for an opportunity to catch up and overtake.
Shortly after the half-way mark in the fleet racing final it arrived. Finding a lane of breeze ETNZ swooped and swept past Spithill, a jubilant Barker telling his crew "we're through" , in this case meaning they'd left Oracle behind.
It was gripping stuff, Barker covering cleverly up the beat before sprinting home for another trophy. Great entertainment for the crowds lining the shore and enjoying the high-speed racing, with the shallow draft of a catamaran allowing the action to get close to the shore.
Fair play to Ellison. He is a sound sportsman and not a sore loser, his disappointment at defeat outweighed by his obvious delight in seeing his multi-hull vision for the America's Cup coming to life in spectacular style.
This has been a hugely successful start to the America's Cup World Series. The much-vaunted TV needs tweaking but the ingredients are there and overall the event has delivered.
So has ETNZ and at the final press conference Barker was on good form, delivering straight back to Spithill the words the Aussie had taunted him with before the match racing final - the curse of being the favourite.
We've a long way to go to the America's Cup proper in 2013 but this duel between these two hugely talented sailors is going to make that time zoom by.
