Last week's America's Cup events were thrilling, right? Sunday's atmosphere out on the Marina Green felt like one of the city's nicer street festivals. A street festival with boats. With two Team USAs in the fleet, America cleaned up on home waters. (Although neither captain is actually from the states.) Skipper Jimmy Spithill and crew took the fleet racing title for Oracle while captain Russell Coutts also nabbed a match racing win under the Oracle banner in the preliminary regattas. As you can see, there was much celebration. And a guy with a jetpack.
Yesterday's exciting fleet racing finale, in which Spithill came from behind in the last stretch of a seven-leg race to nab title for the defending America's Cup champions was enough to win over even the most jaded landlubbers. Even the Bay Guardian had a blast at the regatta for millionaires.
Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson also got in on the sailing action, riding along on Coutts' boats as a guest racer in the final heat. Johnson's sea legs aren't as great as his sprinting legs, though: the four-time gold medal winner fell off the back of Team Oracle's AC45 near the end of the race.
Anyhow, we learned a thing or two about sailing yesterday. Namely, when you win someone from Louis Vuitton actually comes out on stage to hand you a brand new watch and a giant silver platter. Sometimes these things turn out to be exactly what you expect.
The yachts, the Oracle signs and all the lovely beer garden all return to the Marina green for the next regatta on October 2 - 7.
