Tuesday, February 16, 2010

America gets its cup back


As a casual, recreational boater, did you know that the 33rd America's Cup just happened?

Were you aware that the billionaire CEO of a giant software company called Oracle led a radically designed yacht across the Mediterranean to win the bragging rights to the oldest active trophy in international sports?

Admittedly, many of us were too busy watching the Olympics, or were distracted when the first race was postponed due to lack of wind. Maybe you were turned off by the two-plus-year courtroom drama between the Cup contestants over the rules, or questioned the validity of the technology used in this year's boats.

Maybe you missed it, but don't dismiss it. The America's Cup is back in the country of its namesake after a 15 year drought, the longest in the contest's history. The technology behind the winning boat is considered revolutionary by some, and could change the face of the Cup for all future races. As an American, you could be proud of our country, our team and one of our nation's amazing entrepreneurial success stories in Larry Ellison and Oracle.

Don't worry, thanks to the Internet, you can watch the victory and learn more about the contest easily at several sites. AmericasCup.com, Oracle.com, and the NY Times are good places to start.

Thank you, Larry, for bringing the Cup back home.

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2 comments:

  1. Captain Morgan17 February, 2010

    The America's Cup is not named for The United States of America.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You are correct, Captain.

    From Wikipedia: Originally named the Royal Yacht Squadron Cup, it became known as the "America's Cup" after the first yacht to win the trophy, the schooner America."

    The America was a yacht designed and built in the USA. The New York Yacht Club held the trophy from 1857 to 1983.

    More at Wikipedia

    ReplyDelete