BMW Oracle Racing - The team

Challengers BMW ORACLE Racing Team draw their sailing crew from a wide variety of backgrounds. Skipper Russell Coutts has won the America’s Cup three times, twice with Team New Zealand and as skipper of Alinghi in 2003. An Olympic gold medallist in his own right, Coutts so far remains undefeated as an America’s Cup skipper. He is a qualified engineer and has a great technical background and experience.

Tactician John Kostecki won the Volvo Ocean Race as the skipper of Illbruck, has long experience match racing and is in his fifth America’s Cup campaign and is an Olympic silver medallist. Helmsman James Spithill was the youngest America’s Cup helm in 2000, going on to win the Match Racing world championship in 2005 then serving with Luna Rossa as a helmsman in 2007.

BMW ORACLE’s trimmers display a complete sailing background too. Trimmers Noel Drennan, Dirk De Ridder and Ross Halcrow all won the Volvo Ocean Race with Kostecki on illbruck but between them have a wealth of America’s Cup experience. Drennan, Halcrow and De Ridder all sailed previously as members of the BMW ORACLE team. Among those whose skills are well proven in the Multihull arena Thierry Fouchier was trimmer with the Groupama team as well as sailing the last America’s Cup cycle with Le Défi and Sweden’s Victory Team. Veteran bowman Alan Smith is in his eighth America’s Cup.