BMW Oracle Racing dominated both races in yesterday's final finishing the Pro-Driver Series with a final score of 16-6 and the Owner-Driver Series 4-2

After a week of intense head-to-head match racing in powerful America’s Cup Class yachts, the UBS Trophy regatta came down to two races today: one for the Pro-Driver Series between BMW Oracle Racing and Team Alinghi and the other for the Owner-Driver contest between Larry Ellison and Ernesto Bertarelli.

BMW Oracle Racing dominated both races, finishing the Pro-Driver Series with a final score of 16-6 and the Owner-Driver Series 4-2. BMW Oracle Racing won 7 of the 11 Pro-Driver races in the series and 3 of 4 Owner-Driver races.

“Everything we’d done all week didn’t matter today,” said BMW Oracle Racing skipper and CEO Chris Dickson. “We know to beat Alinghi we have to be at our best. Fortunately, we were at our best today. I’m very proud of our team.”

BMW Oracle Racing came into the day leading the Pro-Driver Series 9-6 and tied 2-2 in the Owner-Driver Series. Superior tactics and smooth teamwork propelled BMW Oracle Racing to wins in both categories.

“This was just like San Francisco,” said BMW Oracle Racing team owner Larry Ellison. “The teams were pretty evenly matched. It came down to the last race on the last day. We had to stay focused and sail the best we could sail.”

With winds on Narragansett Bay light in morning fog, the race committee postponed the start of the Pro-Driver race. But when the starting sequence began, BMW Oracle Racing used its win in the coin toss last night to its advantage entering the starting box from starboard. They forced Alinghi very tight on the pin end of the start line and tacked away toward the middle of the bay. With a fortunate wind shift, helmsman Gavin Brady and BMW ORACLE Racing quickly picked up 3-boat length lead, which held through the race. Hundreds of spectators at Newport’s historic Fort Adams and along the shore, and hundreds more spectator boats watched the action. When the finish gun sounded, BMW Oracle Racing had a commanding lead of 1 minute, 4 seconds.

In the Owner-Driver race, Team Alinghi won the start by 12 seconds, but BMW Oracle Racing quickly made up the time. Alinghi again headed off toward Fort Adams on the eastern shore believing the wind would shift left. But when they tacked over toward BMW Oracle Racing, which was on starboard tack, it was clear they would not be able to cross. As Alinghi tacked away, BMW Oracle Racing took the lead and rounded the mark first.

By the time the yachts rounded the last mark and turned towards home, BMW Oracle Racing had opened up a 5-boat length lead. At the final gun, BMW Oracle Racing had secured a 29 second lead. The yacht dropped her spinnaker to the roar of horns from the spectator fleet.

BMW Oracle Racing now moves on to Europe and the Louis Vuitton Cup Acts that kick off in September in Marseille, France.

Deltas for Race 11

(lead) Start .02 (BMWORACLE)

Windward Mark .17 (BMWORACLE)

Leeward Mark .30 (BMWORACLE)

Windward Mark .28 (BMWORACLE)

Finish 1:04 (BMWORACLE)

Deltas for Race 4, Owner-Driver Series

(lead) Start .12 (ALINGHI)

Windward Mark .09 (BMWORACLE)

Leeward Mark .26 (BMWORACLE)

Windward Mark .37 (BMWORACLE)

Finish .29 (BMWORACLE)