BMW Oracle leads Alinghi at first mark of Race 2 of America’s Cup showdown

BMW Oracle leads Alinghi at first mark

VALENCIA, Spain — American challenger BMW Oracle closed in on winning the America’s Cup, taking a lead of 2 minutes, 44 seconds over two-time defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland at the second turning mark of Race 2.

The American trimaran, with its radical, 223-foot wing sail, took a 28-second lead rounding the first mark Sunday and then accelerated over the Mediterranean while sailing across the wind on the second leg, its windward and middle hulls flying out of the water.

BMW Oracle won the first race in the best-of-three series, and a victory would bring the oldest trophy in international sports back to the United States for the first time since Dennis Conner lost to Team New Zealand in 1995. It would go to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club.

Software tycoon Larry Ellison was aboard BMW Oracle. He took himself off the boat before Race 1, anticipating light winds. The Oracle Corp. CEO is believed to have spent well more than $150 million on this campaign, including the bitter 2½-year court case against Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli over rules, dates and the venue.

Race 2 is being sailed over a triangle course measuring 39 nautical miles, with the first 13-mile leg into the wind and the other two legs reaching across the wind.

Alinghi crossed ahead of BMW Oracle approaching the first mark, but lost speed during a tack and the Americans sailed ahead.

BMW Oracle seemed to get an instant boost when Alinghi was penalized for being in the starting box before the 5-minute gun sounded. While the Americans headed out to the left side of the course, Alinghi did a downspeed tack and took the right side.

The move paid off when the Swiss gained during a wind shift and powered into the lead about a third of the way up the leg. Multihull whiz Loick Peyron of France took Alinghi’s helm from Bertarelli early in the leg.

The Swiss, who otherwise looked better than during the opener, will have to do a 270-penalty turn sometime during the race. Alinghi raised a protest flag on its stern approaching the top mark. It wasn’t immediately clear what it was for.

The race started after organizers waited 6½ hours for a steady breeze.

The Americans won Race 1 by 15 minutes, 28 seconds. Alinghi committed a penalty during the prestart Friday when it didn’t get out of the way of BMW Oracle, which was on favored starboard tack, forcing both boats to tack away.

Both of them are the fastest, most technologically advanced sailboats in the 159-year history of the America’s Cup.