BMW pulls out of Oracle Racing
[Source: BMW Oracle] At the end of the year BMW will bring to a close its longstanding partnership with ORACLE Racing and thereby end its involvement in the America's Cup. This is by mutual agreement of both partners. Both parties set ambitious goals and achieved the ultimate objective: winning the America's Cup.
BMW has partnered BMW ORACLE Racing since 2002. Technology and skills have transferred freely between the automaker and sailing team, most notably in the fields of structural engineering and high-modulus composite construction. The result was celebrated in the February when the yacht USA 17, the fastest yacht in the history of the America’s Cup, won the 33rd Match with a resounding 2:0 victory off Valencia, Spain.
"On the design and engineering front, BMW engineers set new benchmarks in terms of intelligent lightweight design," said Ralf Hussmann, General Manager BMW Sports Marketing and Brand Cooperation. "In winning the 33rd America’s Cup, we achieved all of our ambitious goals. We will continue to be involved in the sport on a national level."
"The America’s Cup combines a technological challenge with a sporting one and success is measured by the result on the race course,” added Russell Coutts CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing.
No more BMW in BMW Oracle Racing as of January 1st, 2011. Photo copyright Gilles Martin-RagetLabels: 34th America's Cup, America's Cup, BMW Oracle
22 Comments:
. . . awesome - finally I can trade my Volvo in for a BMW without taking on board all the negative connotations associated . . .
Hahahahahahhhhhaaaaaaaahhhaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahhhhaaaaaa.
Are you kidding? This is no good. Sailing needs more big name, big dollar, high profile sponsors, not less.
This is a good move by Oracle Racing. It now leaves the space for new, big name sponsors to come in the America's Cup. BMW has been in the game for too long.
Coutts!
You have no more sponsor, you have no venue, you have only few teams.
No a good position. Why don't you go back to helm a boat, you are the best at it, and resign from your CEO position to leave the space for competent people.
BMW doesn't buy into the "best AC ever"!
SF has open eyes for welcoming the "best AC ever"
Radical discounts are offered to try to lure few teams to enter the "Best AC ever".
Coutts, maybe it isn't the best AC ever!
Just a terrible, horrible major failure you orchestrated.
Congratulations!
Clearly BMW sense dark skies in the far horizon, and know well enough to bail out while there is still time... They are smart to be rid of this drowning monkey show.
it was a rumor in february in valencia this year and now it's true!
7:54 PM anon
"Coutts!
You have no more sponsor"
Dear anon, ever thought about "Oracle" and Mr. Elisson, one of the richest men on earth???
If there is one thing "Coutts" need not worry about it is MONEY to run the campaign...
Another great brand turns it's back on the AC thanks to OR's underhand dealings over the last three years. This is not good news for the sport or teams looking to attract sponsors
7:54
Sorry but you miss the point badly. It is not about money. Indeed Ellison can cover all. It is about image, it is about vision.
What does it say when you try to sell the vision of the best AC ever to the world and that your main sponsor quits?
It means Coutts vision is worth zip, zero.
He's rich, so it is not about money. It is about ego, and his ego is bigger, way bigger that his wallet.
Go back to helm a monohull russell, that is what you are good at.
obviously previous message was for 8:04 sorry!
Heard a heavy rumour from Edison Parkway that Burger King will be the new Title Sponsor...!
10:40 I think you are wrong. I heard it was going to be Piggly Wiggly as the event sponsor and Taco Bell were taking the place of BMW as team sponsor.
I hope ORACLE keeps looking for technology companies as sponsors. Maybe they could try to be sponsored by automotive companies, such as Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, etc. that could earn a benefit from the technology used to design an America's Cup yacht, just like BMW did with the USA-17 trimaran.
For the 33rd AC, there was a huge technology transfer from BMW to the BMW ORACLE Racing team, so it won't be a bad idea to have another car company sponsoring an AC team and transfering their technology for the design and construction of the new AC45 and AC72.
Best regards,
Cristian Palau
Saab/Styker or Saab Aerospace = Swedes?
Mascalzone was associated with Audi(VW), right? Wondering if there is a larger play for Audi in AC 34?
Jaguar was associated with Team Origin, but is there enough Jag technology/fluid/aerodynamic research that would apply to a team? Is Jag now under the Tata India ownership umbrella?
To Anonymous 7:29 PM, YES, YOU ARE RIGHT. Jaguar did was associated to Team Origin for the 1851 Cup, but I mentioned it just as an example of the car companies that could be associated to a sailing team.
And YES, Audi is property of Volswagen (VW), and they do sponsor Mascalzone Latino.
For example, Rolls Royce could sponsor a sailing team, given that they built the engines for the Airbus A380, and they have enough Rolls Royce technology/fluid/aerodynamic research to transfer that info into the design of an AC45 or AC72.
It is just an example, but why not?
Best regards,
Cristian Palau
Are you serious....??? Don't you read or see the news regarding RR and the A380 engines?? Take your head out of the sand man.... these people have better things to do right now than take risks on problematic, uncertain sailing events.
Are you serious....??? Don't you read or see the news regarding RR and the A380 engines?? Take your head out of the sand man.... these people have better things to do right now than take risks on problematic, uncertain sailing events.
please RC go back to mono , and safe the Cup
10:03 AM anon
BMW also quit F1 and F1 is doing just fine without them...
10.03
They quit F1 because after years of trying they couldn't win it. They sort of won the AC with OR but destroyed so much of the Cups value and heritage in the process that they no longer see it as a good investment. Alternatively they may of course think that under RC the whole thing is now just too embarrassing!
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