SAN FRANCISCO – Postcard-perfect conditions. Finish-line drama. Champagne showers for the home team.
Organizers of the America's Cup World Series couldn't have scripted a better ending Sunday as Oracle Team USA swept top honors with Russell Coutts winning the match-race championship and Jimmy Spithill finishing first in the overall fleet race standings.
Each race came down to the wire.
Whereas Spithill fell short by one second in his pursuit of Coutts in the one-on-one competition, Spithill did edge Team Korea for second place in the fleet race – a finish that was just good enough to maintain his spot as first overall despite the fact an Italian boat, Luna Rossa Piranha, handily won Sunday's race.
"I think the sign of a championship team is one that can come back from a little bit of adversity, and the boys showed that in the fleet racing," Spithill said.
In truth, Spithill had issues to deal with in both races witnessed by an estimated 40,000 fans lining the Marina Green shore under rare fog-free skies.
The match competition pitted Oracle teammates in a prickly situation after Coutts held Spithill responsible for a Friday incident that saw Coutts ram the committee boat at the starting line, knocking himself out of the day's competition.
Sunday, it was Coutts who had the better position at the start of the match championship.
Coutts held his ground, and whereas Spithill avoided the committee boat, he was forced to slow down considerably.
A little payback perhaps?
"Absolutely," Coutts said. "Not that I hold a grudge, but it was a little bit of nice revenge."
Spithill, 33, did pass Coutts in the opening minute of their race, but the veteran captain regained the lead, dominated, then held on when a right-of-way penalty to Spithill thwarted his comeback challenge.
"It means the old dog still has some old tricks," said Coutts, 50.
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