Kaenon Polarized

SAILING – VALENCIA, SPAIN

Congratulations to BMW Oracle Racing – decked out in Kaenon Polarized Sunglasses, the sports performance eyewear of choice, for winning the most technologically advanced America’s Cup Race in history! Russell Coutts (Lewi G12), John Kostecki (Hard Kore C28), Ross Halcrow (Hard Kore C28), Dirk DeRidder (Kore G12), Joey Newton (Hard Kore G12), Thierry Fouchier (Hard Kore G12) and the man who talked Coutts into designing and making the Wing – Pete Melvin (Jetty G12)!

The BMW Oracle Racing Crew

The Winged Trimaran in Action

(L) CEO and Skipper Russell Coutts wearing Lewi Black Pearl G12 (R) Larry Ellison

Trimmer, Ross Halcrow in Hard Kore C28

John Kostecki in Celebration Mode

John Kostecki of BMW Oracle Racing, made the call of the match – one that proved to be the defining moment in Race 2 of the 33rd America’s Cup. The talented and decorated tactician and longtime wearer of Kaenon’s patented SR-91® polarized sunglasses, Kostecki made a tactical decision that put America’s BMW Oracle Racing in position to take the lead and go on to ultimately win Race 2 and the America’s Cup. Several of USA 17’s key players, and those on the losing Defender, relied on Kaenon Polarized to read the fickle breeze in Valencia.

After winning the first race in the best-of-3 match, which took place on Friday, February 12th, BMW Oracle Racing only needed one more win to bring the iconic trophy back to America. Wearing Hard Kore, C28 lenses, Kostecki relied on the razor-sharp clarity of his SR-91 polarized lenses – and trusted what he saw – more breeze and a slight shift to the left towards the end of the first leg of Race 2. Confirming what he was reading with the computer data that also indicated a shift in his boat’s favor, he called the tack that placed BMW Oracle’s USA 17 ahead of Alinghi 5, to take the lead at the top mark. That call, was the defining moment that made the race one of pure speed from there on out. BMW Oracle’s Winged trimaran had more speed – and showed that America’s Cup 33, a unique Deed of Gift match – was purely about technical innovation. Kostecki’s most important tool as the winning tactician? Kaenon Polarized! As the most technically advanced sailing sunglasses to be invented, Kaenon’s SR-91 polarized lenses were the choice of tacticians on both teams, all trimmers and key personnel!

SAILING – VALENCIA, SPAIN

So close, but not just yet… The anticipation for the 33rd America’s Cup continues to build, but the breezes off Valencia, Spain refused to cooperate to allow the scheduled first showdown between the two giant multihulls–Swiss defender Alinghi 5 and Challenger BMW Oracle–to take place today.

Race 1 is now re-scheduled to take place on Wednesday, February 10th with the time gun due at 1000hrs.

The competitors fine-tuned their boats during yesterday’s windless and final practice. Check back for updates and recaps as these two revolutionary crafts make history this week!

On team BMW Oracle; Russell Coutts, John Kostecki, Dirk DeRidder, Ross Halcrow and Joey Newton will be wearing their trusted Kaenon Polarized Sunglasses. On team Alinghi; Brad Butterworth, Simon Daubney and Warwick Fluerry also demand the utmost performance out of their eyewear.

BMW Oracle

Alinghi 5

America’s Cup Online Viewing Resources:
The event website for the 33rd America’s Cup will provide live online
coverage with Peter Montgomery, Andy Green, and Cam Lewis commentating for
the official Host Broadcaster; http://www.americascup.com

ESPN360.com (USA only) will carry the live coverage from the Host
Broadcaster with Gary Jobson and Randy Smyth commentating. All races will
also be available for replay; http://www.ESPN360.com

Boatson.tv has secured the Host Broadcaster live pictures from the course in
Valencia and other general Americas Cup program which can be watched live
on their special Americas Cup TV video players; http://www.boatson.tv

SAILING
BMW Oracle racing lost their 200-foot tall rig (mast and sails) on the water last week. While out training off the coast of San Diego / Mexico in moderate, nice conditions, a hardware failure occurred and an ensuing “gravity storm” hit – everything came crashing down. While they admitted it was very scary, luckily, nobody was injured.

See the sequence of events below – Sailing last week, next day rig comes crashing down and the carnage being picked up and towed back to shore, and the new Hard Wing that will get stepped and unveiled today.

BEFORE…

then, 24 hours later….

The team says it’s really not that big of a setback as they were testing that new, very large / tall mast – one of 3 so far. They had another new test coming this week – a radical “hard-wing.” Imagine a big 747 airplane wing planted on the boat as the new power train (replacing conventional mast and sails) – but it’s literally, even bigger than a 747 jet wing!

And…in final stages of building in their secret work shed, the biggest Hard Wing ever built…to be stepped and mounted for the first time this week.

SAILING
AMERICA’S CUP – BMW ORACLE TESTING OFF SAN DIEGO

SAILING – SAN DIEGO, CA

While the defenders are cranking up the PR machine flying their boat over the alps and having parades on Lake Geneva, the BMW Oracle team is having a great time in San Diego testing their own machine – to determine it’s real potential while they drive technology and innovation to heights never gone before.

At the BMW ORACLE Racing Special Event held Tuesday August 11, 2009 in San Diego, the team celebrated the USA’s challenge for the 33rd America ’s Cup.

CEO and Skipper Russell Coutts announced that helmsman James Spithill will be driving the team’s boat in the 33rd America’s Cup. The rest of the team was introduced to nearly 400 guests that included the media, partners and sponsors, team families, local dignitaries and sailing community friends.

SAILING – VENICE, ITALY

BMW Oracle skipper James Spithill wearing Lewi, and his tactician John Kostecki who wears Hard Kore won 2nd in the iShares Cup during the Extreme 40 Sailing Series. Featuring top class competition the close shore-side waterways of Europe hosted the identical 40-foot high speed catamarans and attracted sailing’s best talent and quality sponsorship, the Tour raced around ancient urban waterways and coastal towns for spectator enjoyment. Fueled by the America’s Cup that will be raced in giant multihulls early next year, this hot new racing series is quickly becoming a spectator and competitor favorite.

In a recent interview, James Spithill said, “It was obviously very light and today was definitely a different style of racing with a reaching course and I thought we were pretty weak at it so I think we’re happy to walk away with a second. Gitana were definitely on top of their game. So a lot of good lessons have been learnt and I think we’ll be better for it. (Venice was) fantastic, what a great venue, got to love it, we really enjoyed it.”

PUERTO CALERO ISLAS CANARIAS RC 44 CUP – Canary Islands

Russell Coutts isn’t considered the greatest sailor in the world for nothing…not only an Olympic Gold medalist and most decorated America’s Cup sailor ever, he’s also a talented designer and has created one of the most successful racing classes going, today. The RC 44 is a scaled down America’s Cup style boat – advanced, high-tech and hard core. Kaenon is everywhere on these professionally crewed boats, including on Coutts who has favored Lewi Black Pearl and Hard Kore Black G12. Evenly matched, Coutts BMW Oracle team finished the fleet racing portion yesterday in 6th.

Russell Coutts in Lewi, at the wheel for BMW Oracle, and below as tactician and coaching his owner around the course.

Some sunglass styles showcased on board: Klemm, Kore and Rhino.