The America's Cup is back in American hands.
It was swept away from Europe by Ellison's space-age trimaran, which has a gigantic wing for a sail and easily sped ahead of two-time defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland to complete a two-race sweep in the 33rd America's Cup early this morning (NZ time).
"I am so proud of this team, I am so proud to be part of this team, and I am especially proud to bring the America's Cup, once again, after a long absence, back to the United States of America," said the 65-year-old Ellison, the chief executive of Oracle Corp.
The Auld Mug, as the ornate silver jug is also known, now belongs to San Francisco's Golden Gate Yacht Club.
BMW Oracle Racing chief executive, New Zealander Russell Coutts, who has quite a bit of experience at winning the America's Cup, popped the cork on a magnum of champagne and sprayed his boss, as well as tactician John Kostecki and skipper-helmsman Jimmy Spithill of Australia.
A blizzard of blue and silver confetti blew across the stage and fireworks went off across Port America's Cup, a festive ending to a tumultuous 2 1/2-year period that dragged the 159-year-old event to one of its lowest points.
Ellison and rival Ernesto Bertarelli - two of the world's wealthiest men - had been locked in a court fight since July 2007, and it looked for a while like the result of this race was going to be contested off the water.
Alinghi raised a red protest flag on its giant catamaran late on the first leg of the triangle course during Race 2, leaving everyone wondering what it was about since there's no communication off the boats.
The Swiss dropped the protest after the race, confirming Ellison's win. They were unhappy about a prestart penalty, but decided it wouldn't have an outcome on the race.
Asked if the Americans planned to drop litigation pending against the Swiss in the New York State Supreme Court, Ellison said: "The only thing we ever wanted was to beat Alinghi on the water with a fair set of rules. And that's what we got today."
Bertarelli wasn't at the handover ceremony, but he and Ellison briefly shook hands when the Swiss exited the post-race news conference.
The biotech mogul became the first European to win the America's Cup in 2003 with a victory over Team New Zealand, and defended it against the Kiwis in 2007.
"Congratulations to the BMW Oracle team, their boat was faster," Bertarelli said. "They had a strategy, they got a little help from the legal system in New York and that always makes it difficult for us Europeans and that gave them advantages.
"They were faster, good on them," he continued. "We didn't have a boat that was quite fast enough. We didn't lay down. We fought as hard as we could and we exit with our head high."
The America's Cup has been away from US shores for 15 years, the longest drought since the schooner America won the silver trophy by beating a fleet of British ships around the Isle of Wight in 1851. Dennis Conner lost it in 1995 to Team New Zealand and Coutts, now a four-time America's Cup winner.
