Lived to race another day... Today..

Oracle Team USA just won’t go away. It took advantage of a strong maneuver in the prestart by skipper Jimmy Spithill to win the start and was never headed in winning Race 12 of the finals, delaying Emirates Team New Zealand’s hoped-for victory celebration Thursday. Oracle’s margin of victory was 31 seconds as it cut the Kiwis’ series lead to 8-2. Oracle started two races in the hole thanks to a jury penalty.

Spithill caught the Kiwis with a hook maneuver, ducking inside after skipper Dean Barker made his move to the starting line too early. After taking the start, Oracle led to the first mark by 5 seconds. It widened the lead to 11 seconds by the end of the downwind second leg, then headed away from shore even though the ebb tide was stronger closer to shore.

Oracle was traveling at a brisk 31 knots upwind during the third leg, but ETNZ was just as fast and closed the lead to 40 meters. At mark 3, Oracle led by 10 seconds, and the Kiwis did not mount a serious threat during the downwind fourth leg.

The wind limit scuttled Emirates Team New Zealand’s hopes of winning the America’s Cup Thursday.

If Race 13 is going to be the lucky race for the Kiwis, it will have to be Friday. Race 14, if needed, will follow, but Thursday was the third straight day that at least one race was waved off because of excess winds.

After a 20-minute wait to let the wind dip below the limit, Race 13 was ready to begin when the wind jumped over the 20-knot limit. Day 10 of racing will be held on Friday with the first race at 1:15 PM (unless it’s too windy yet again).

Oracle has actually won six races, but it started two races in the hole as a result of a cheating scandal that resulted in a jury penalty.

The two teams could agree to increase the wind limit, but regatta director Iain Murray said the Coast Guard would have to agree to the new limit, which was set as one of many safety responses to the tragic Artemis Racing wreck on May 9.