USA Press Conference

BMW Oracle Racing gave their first live webcast press conference today from Port America's Cup in Valencia, Spain. With Tom Ehman, emceeing the event BMWO CEO Russell Coutts, Owner Larry Ellison and Skipper James Spithill were in attendance, along with the usual worldwide yachting press participants.
With the first race less than three days away, all concerned seemed to be remarkably relaxed considering what is involved. The entire future of the America's Cup is at stake.
"This will be the greatest spectacle in sailing history," said Ellison. "Think of it as the X-Games version of the America's Cup. These are extreme machines."
For the first time in many years this America's Cup will be a showcase for technology. The last time America specifically has been able to have an upper hand in a technological aspect in this regatta was in the last court driven America's Cup in 1988 when Dennis Conner and Team Stars and Stripes raced a fixed wing catamaran against New Zealand.
Today Coutts called their trimaran USA, "an evolution of Stars and Stripes 88."
When asked about whether the two multihulls were going to mix it up, Coutts was quite animated in characterizing this match as compared to a Formula One race, when if you asked the competitors whether they were going to be concerned about hitting each other or racing too close, "they would look at you like you were crazy."
That said, like auto racing, a collision between these two yachts would be catastrophic, with a likely loss of life.
Though given the press conference's few moments of shrill, one has to ask themselves whether either side completely trusts the other when it comes to sanity.
When asked to comment whether he would be attending the owner's press conference tomorrow, Ellison was quite candid; "they have explicitly excluded Russell Coutts by name and because of this I won't be able to find the time myself to attend."
Ellison added when asked, if anyone from BMWO would attend, he categorically replied,"no one for our team;" as spoken by the man where clearly the buck stops at his boat.
Weather is going to play a huge role in this regatta and with the possibility of the spectacular, comes the risk of spectacle. A breakdown or collision would likely mean the end of the America's Cup for either team.
Harold Bennett will again reprise his role as the race official in charge of running the regatta and most assuredly the New Zealander has the respect of both sides.
Again, Monday February 8 will be potentially the most spectacular day in sailing history or not and the beauty of it all is that the world will be able to enjoy back to back Super Bowls!