BMW ORACLE Racing launches USA 87 in spectacular style

BMW ORACLE Racing launches USA 87 in spectacular style © Guilain Grenier / BMW Oracle Racing

Team hosts boat launch, base opening and lifestyle collection in Valencia

BMW ORACLE Racing celebrated three major milestones in Valencia, Spain today with the official naming of their first new generation yacht, the official opening of the team base and the launch of an extensive merchandise collection. More than 500 guests and 150 international media gathered at the impressive new base to watch as Sue Dickson, wife of BMW ORACLE Racing skipper and CEO, Chris Dickson, broke the traditional bottle of champagne across the bow of USA-87. “This is a great moment and milestone for our team,” Chris Dickson said. “A boat christening is always a moving event – for every designer and boatbuilder, for every sailor, for all of us who have the privilege to take part in such a magnificent campaign.

“USA 87 is the result of 1,000 hours of full-scale, two-boat testing and 30,000 man hours invested by our boatbuilding team. Over the coming days and weeks, the challenge will be to tap the yacht’s full potential.” Dickson thanked the BMW ORACLE Racing design team headed by Ian Burns, BMW for its contribution of automotive engineering know-how, the boatbuilding team managed by Mark Turner, Tim Smyth and Mark Somerville, and the sailing team who will now be testing the boat to develop its full potential. Extremely strong and lightweight, the two-tonne carbon fiber hull of USA 87 was constructed in the American coastal town of Anacortes, Washington. At the end of February, the “Made in USA” hull traveled from Seattle to Valencia in a spectacular manner – 8,900 km aboard a Russian Antonov cargo plane with support from DHL Global Forwarding.

The christening of the new race yacht was the centerpiece of a spectacular evening of celebrations, which took place at the new BMW ORACLE Racing team base in Valencia. The base covers 5,600sq metres over three floors and features world-class hospitality for team VIP guests, a public interactive centre, a gymnasium and team facilities for running a two-boat America’s Cup programme. “We designed a base that would encompass a wide range of our team requirements under one roof,” said Dickson. “The first priority was to provide the most efficient sailing operations possible. “At the same time, we wanted to design a space that would offer our guests a memorable world-class hospitality experience set amidst an authentic sailing environment. Our base is our home in Valencia and we will open our doors daily to the Valencia community with a public interactive and merchandise area.”

The base architecture and design reflects the team’s technology-driven campaign. The team commissioned noted German interior designer Volker Bender of Kaiserslautern, Germany, who also designed and produced most of the VIP interior and the public area furniture. Italian design label Tecno supplied all of the office furniture used throughout the base.

“Our program will be closer to what guests experience in Formula One than to what has been seen before in the America’s Cup,” said Mirko Groeschner, Marketing Director, BMW ORACLE Racing. “The crucial point is to entertain a significant number of guests at once and yet give each of them a very unique and special America’s Cup experience. We believe this base design concept achieves this goal.”

One of the highlights of the evening was the launch of the team lifestyle collection. Team members and models presented the range consisting of more than 28 separate items in a catwalk style fashion show. In cooperation with BMW, the new collection was developed by world renowned marine clothing specialist, Henri Lloyd, who are Technology Partner for BMW ORACLE Racing. State-of-the-art technology, professionalism, innovation, quality – these characteristics, which are associated with the BMW ORACLE Racing Team, are also reflected by the new merchandise range of clothing and accessories. The collection is inspired by the team kit worn onboard and the same attention to detail has been applied, incorporating premium quality fabrics, such as GORE-TEX®, Scheoller® Soft Shell Technology and Windstopper® materials, which are used to produce the most technically advanced performance clothing for one design racing.

However, fabrics such as classic cotton, jersey and polyester have not ceased to appeal to the classic on shore clothing items, which include a men’s, ladies, unisex and kids range.