SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Jimmy Spithill and his mates with Oracle Team USA were masterful in light air Sunday on San Francisco Bay, winning two races against Emirates Team New Zealand to stay alive in the America’s Cup.
Oracle’s 72-foot catamaran jumped to huge leads in both races and has won four straight since the Kiwis reached match point on Wednesday.
Oracle cut the Kiwis’ lead to 8-5. Docked two points in the biggest cheating scandal in the 162-year history of the America’s Cup, Oracle needs four more wins to keep the oldest trophy in international sports.
Oracle won Race 14 by 23 seconds and then took Race 15 by 37 seconds.
Oracle has won six of the last eight races after an awful start that led Spithill to replace American tactician John Kostecki with British Olympic star Ben Ainslie, who had been the helmsman of the backup boat.
