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sports Diahuebs 10 December 2020
America’s Cup star Jimmy Spithill to lead US SailGP team
(AP) — Jimmy Spith-
ill has signed on as CEO
and helmsman of the U.S.
team in SailGP, giving the
global league another for-
mer America’s Cup cham-
pion in its stable of stars.
Spithill is an Australian who
sailed in three America’s Cup
campaigns for Oracle Team
USA, winning the first two.
His wife, Jennifer, is from
San Diego, where they make
their permanent home with
their two sons.
With Spithill taking the helm
for the American team, Rome
Kirby will shift to flight con-
troller aboard the 50-foot
foiling catamaran.
The second season of SailGP
was delayed from 2020 until
2021 due to the coronavirus
pandemic and will start April
24-25 in Bermuda.
That will be a month after
the 36th America’s Cup fin-
ishes in Auckland, New Zea-
land. Spithill is competing in
his seventh America’s Cup
campaign, this time with It-
aly’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Team. a 30-year-old in 2010, he be- second season and dominated March. Burling and Tuke are The first season was domi-
SailGP was founded by New came the youngest skipper to the opening regatta in Sydney also Olympic gold and silver nated by Slingsby and fellow
Zealander Russell Coutts, win the Auld Mug when he in late February, but that re- medalists. Aussie Nathan Outteridge,
a five-time America’s Cup steered a 90-foot trimaran gatta was declared void after “It’s going to be awesome, who skippers Team Japan.
champion, and tech tycoon to a two-race victory against the season was postponed by the rivalries in a whole lot The United States had the
Larry Ellison after Oracle a Swiss crew in a one-off the pandemic. of different ways, and just youngest team in SailGP’s
Team USA was defeated by showdown that was the re- Ainslie is leading INEOS knowing how competitive inaugural season and finished
Emirates Team New Zealand sult of a bitter court fight. Team UK in the America’s a lot of these individuals are last out of six teams.
in the 2017 America’s Cup in In 2013, he led Oracle Team Cup. and what’s at stake,” Spithill
Bermuda. USA to one of the biggest said. “Oh, mate, I just can’t “This is going to be an in-
comebacks in sports. Af- “I’m thankful for the oppor- wait for that first event com- credibly competitive cham-
“I get along well, good mates ter Oracle fell behind Team tunity to get back out there ing up in Bermuda. We’re liv- pionship,” Coutts said. “The
with both Russell and Larry, New Zealand 8-1, he steered and go against, let’s face it, ing in a different world now, U.S. didn’t perform as well
and sort of been in touch and the American boat to eight the best guys in the world,” obviously, but it’s just cool as it could, but I think overall
watched from afar and was re- straight victories on San the 41-year-old Spithill said. to see that this event is going Rome did a really good job
ally impressed with what they Francisco Bay. Peter Burling and Blair Tuke ahead next year.” with that team and he’s still
did in season one,” Spithill announced earlier this year Spithill “was keen to join the going to be involved. I think
said from Auckland. “When Also on that Oracle crew were they will head a New Zea- fray,” Coutts said from New there’s no respect lost from
the opportunity popped up I Tom Slingsby, who skippered land team in SailGP. They Zealand. “A guy like Jimmy Rome. He did a good job
jumped at it. I love that style the Australian SailGP team led Emirates Team New Zea- wants to race against the best but there’s no question Jim-
of racing and it’s something I to victory in the inaugural land to victory against Spith- in the world and it’s pretty my Spithill is going to ramp
want to be a part of.” $1 million, winner-take-all ill and Oracle Team USA in clear that we now have the things up.”
Spithill had two memora- championship in 2019, and the 2017 America’s Cup and world’s best sailors commit- Kirby also was on the win-
ble America’s Cup victories Britain’s Sir Ben Ainslie. Ai- look to defend the oldest tro- ting to SailGP. It’s going to be ning Oracle Team USA crew
with Oracle Team USA. As nslie joined SailGP for the phy in international sports in a fantastic lineup.” in the 2013 America’s Cup.
4 arrests made linked to soccer match-fixing in Moldova
(AP) — Five of the 10 soc- “Club executives, coaches, match. “Overall, the criminal republic that borders Roma- team, Sheriff Tiraspol, leads
cer teams in the Moldovan managers, football players profits are estimated at 600 nia and Ukraine. It declared the standings after winning
league have been involved and other intermediates are 000 euros ($728,000),” the independence in 1991 and is 18 of its 20 games since July.
in match-fixing linked to believed to be part of the net- Netherlands-based Europol among the poorest countries Last-place Codru has lost 17
organized crime this sea- work,” Europol said. said. “Links to EU member in Europe. of its 21 games and has a mi-
son and four arrests have Four arrests were made states have been also detect- The league’s most established nus-55 goal difference.
been made, the Europol Monday and the offices of a ed. The investigation is on-
police agency said Tues- club were searched by anti- going.”
day. corruption investigators in Europol said it “provided op-
Moldova. The people ar- erational support by deploy-
A crime syndicate suspected rested and the club were not ing two experts to Moldova
of earning hundreds of thou- identified by Europol. to crosscheck operational in-
sands of dollars from bets Wagers of up to 20,000 euros formation against Europol’s
on about 20 games has been ($24,000) are suspected of databases and provide links
dismantled in the operation, being placed mostly on Asian to investigators in the field.”
Europol said in a statement. betting markets for each fixed Moldova is a former Soviet