Scuttlebutt: A-Cup Commentary

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Scuttlebutt: Special Moments

There has been a ski theme for BMW Oracle Racing during Act 12, where earlier in the event they had US Ski Team standout Bode Miller onboard, and today they have two-time Gold medallist, 2006 Olympic Games, Benni Raich of Austria as the 18th man. BOR team navigator Peter Isler provides some commentary for Scuttlebutt about the current vibe in town. Photos by Gilles Martin-Raget.

(Tuesday, June 27) "Get down here," said the voice on the phone. It's 12:30am and I'm on my way home after a long day of racing on Sunday. "But heck," I thought, "Monday is a day off and anyway, how often do I get to party with Bode Miller in Valencia, Spain?" So I told Bode ... "Okay, I'm on my way," and I was headed back to the Estrella Damm bar in the America's Cup harbor.

US Ski Team member Bode Miller at the helm (in red) with Isler and Larry Ellison to his right.

Thinking about the evening now, I was glad I rallied. There were a ton of my friends from Cup teams enjoying the rare opportunity of a "night off" during a regatta, and Bode and his US Ski Team buddy, Scott Macartney, were hanging with the sailors, still buzzing from their rides aboard BMW Oracle Racing over the past couple of days.

So Monday on the day off, I'm thinking about how special this time is here in Valencia during the middle of the round robin of ACT 12. Optimism reigns around the Cup harbor. Most teams are still sailing older boats, and everyone is looking forward optimistically to the arrival of yet another new boat (or two) that could quickly change the balance of power here if their boat is fast.

There's been some great racing with the "big four" being pushed hard at times, and on Sunday, Magnus Holmberg and the Victory Challenge did a masterful job of match racing, holding off Alinghi with a bevy of tactical tricks to take the scalp of the Cup defender. Of course Act 12's round robin will be followed by a best of three semis and finals... so the slate will clear again and the real pressure will come on. But with a year to go until the Cup... it’s kind of cool that every team still has a lot to look forward to, so we can all easily enjoy a night off from the racing. - Peter Isler, Navigator, BMW Oracle Racing Team

Aerial view of the America's Cup harbor in Valencia, Spain