BMW Oracle Racing Ready for the Match

Valencia, February 7, 2010

On the eve of the first race of the 33rd America's Cup Match, BMW Oracle Racing is ready to go.

"We had a very good sail," said team CEO Russell Coutts (NZL). "We're excited to get out on the race course tomorrow."

The sailing team had a three and a half hour session on the water today to ensure the boat and all of its equipment is 'race ready'.

"No matter how experienced you are, these final moments before the first race of the America's Cup Match are always special," Coutts said.

"Of course there are some nerves, but I feel very positive about our team and our boat. I know that we've done everything we can to be ready, and that's all I can ask. Now, we are ready to race."

Larry Ellison, the founder of the team and a member of the afterguard, was sailing on the trimaran today. He says he can't wait to get racing.

"I can't think about anything but these next three races," he said. "We're 100 percent focused. The only thing we're thinking about now is winning two of the next three races."

The weather forecast is for lighter winds in the morning on Monday, building as the day goes on. Rain showers are forecast. Racing is scheduled to start at 10:06 CET (04:06 EST, 01:06 PST).

The final crew list for USA will be confirmed and released on Monday morning.

You can follow all of the action on Monday on www.bmworacleracing.com with our “Race Day” coverage, which features live original programming, as well as the Host Broadcast feed of the racing.

In addition to the main team website, friends of the team can follow our blog at http://bmworacleracingblog.blogspot.com, our YouTube page at http://www.youtube.com/bmworacleracingteam, or on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/bmworacle2010