5 Feb 2013

Oracle pleased to be back out on San Francisco Bay

6:39 pm on 5 February 2013

Skipper James Spithill has declared America's Cup holder Team Oracle's catamaran a much better boat on its return to the water, more than three months after a spectacular capsize.

The 22-metre catamaran was badly damaged in a capsize on San Francisco Bay in October and the high-tech, 40-metre wing sail was destroyed, with having to come by ship from New Zealand.

Spithill and his crew sailed for boat for three hours today and he was pleased with its performance saying it was essentially a new boat as they've also made a lot of modifications.

The Louis Vuitton Cup for challengers starts on July 4th with the winner sailing against Oracle in the America's Cup proper from September 7th.

Oracle is building another boat at its San Francisco base and is having another wing sail built in New Zealand.