America's Cup Was 21st Century Adrenaline Rush

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts got it right. The staid old America's Cup can be an adrenaline rush.

On the brink of an embarrassing blowout, Oracle Team USA hooked into a wild ride around San Francisco Bay at 40 mph that didn't end until its fast, black catamaran had pulled off one of the biggest comebacks in sports.

Down 8-1, Oracle won eight straight races to keep the America's Cup in America and send Emirates Team New Zealand back Down Under to ponder its collapse.

The biggest winner was probably the overall image of the oldest trophy in international sports, which has been swept fully into the 21st century thanks to thrilling boats and hot-shot sailors.

Says Ellison, the software billionaire: "I think a lot of people who were never interested in sailing suddenly got interested in sailing."

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