Rude Tweets and Thumbs Up in Day of Drama

Thanks to a scintillating victory in what some are calling the greatest race in America’s Cup history, Emirates Team New Zealand inched closer to reclaiming the oldest trophy in sports.

The day started with an offensive tweet, race 9 saw a beaming Larry Ellison brandishing two thumbs up and ended with race 10 and Emirates Team New Zealand on the verge of winning the America’s Cup for a third time. US media hailed a day of drama that began with an offensive tweet – “just beat the *******” – from Oracle Team USA skipper James Spithill, who quickly deleted the post.

Never mind the inappropriate language, the sentiment seemed to work wonders for the Americans, who were buoyed by a near-catastrophic capsize of the New Zealand boat on Sunday (NZ time) and a stroll to victory in race eight.

Race 9 today was all Oracle as it cruised to victory by 47 seconds. American syndicate owner Larry Ellison was cock-a-hoop, beaming and brandishing both thumbs after the race.

But race ten – one of the closest and tensest of the contest – saw Team New Zealand reassert its dominance by 17 seconds and to lead 7-1. The Kiwis need two more wins before taking home the silverware, while the Americans need to win eight to mount a successful defence.
As the Washington Post notes, “Team New Zealand can essentially run out the clock against the American powerhouse.”