[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14394-14395]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     CONGRATULATING ORACLE TEAM USA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Pelosi).
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Illinois (Mr. 
Davis) for his courtesy to allow me, with great enthusiasm, to come to 
the floor to salute Team America, the Oracle Team USA, which came from 
behind to win the America's Cup.
  As many people may be aware, and some not, over the past year or so 
the San Francisco Bay Area has been home to the America's Cup race. 
It's a venerable race. It is usually out to sea, where people in their 
sailboats could witness what was going on or see it on TV. Because of 
the vision of Larry Ellison, it was brought to San Francisco Bay. It 
went from white caps to blue collar, and anyone who could see the bay 
could see the America's Cup race. The shores were lined with people, 
and anyone who had a view of the water could see something spectacular 
happen.
  For the past 2 weeks, San Francisco was home to the 34th America's 
Cup Finals, where Oracle Team USA and Emirates New Zealand raced across 
the bay for the right to win the oldest trophy in international sport.
  The race was swift--boasting AC72s, the fastest catamarans the 
competition has ever seen. The race was long--lasting over 15 days, as 
these two incredible teams competed in 19 races. The race was close--
featuring the first ``winner-takes-all'' final race in 30 years.
  And yesterday afternoon, the 34th America's Cup finished with the 
most incredible comeback in history. After trailing Team New Zealand 
one to eight--Team USA had one, Team New Zealand had eight--Oracle Team 
USA surged ahead to win an unprecedented eight straight races to once 
again hold the America's Cup trophy high above their heads.
  Skipper Jimmy Spithill, Tactician Sir Ben Ainslie, and the entire 
Oracle Team USA sailed into the Port of San Francisco as champions, 
welcomed by the largest and loudest crowd to cheer their entrance into 
history--or any team in history.
  There could be no better backdrop, in my view--or in the view of 
anyone who saw it--to such a momentous American moment when Team USA in 
San Francisco Bay crossed over to victory with the backdrop of the 
hugest American flag I have ever seen.

[[Page 14395]]

  This all was a vision of Oracle Team Sponsor Larry Ellison, who was 
on the water with his crew joining in the celebration of his team's 
second victory in America's Cup. Larry Ellison's vision democratized 
the Cup--as I said, from white caps to blue collar--by bringing the 
race so close to the shoreline that everyone who could view San 
Francisco Bay could view the excitement of America's Cup.
  That beautiful sight was made possible by the extraordinary 
leadership of San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee, California Lieutenant 
Governor Gavin Newsom, Mark Buell, who led a private sector initiative, 
Kyri McClellan of the America's Cup Organizing Committee, and Daley 
Dunham with the Port of San Francisco.
  Thank you to the Coast Guard, the National Park Service, and the Army 
Corps of Engineers for helping make this race a spectacular sight to 
see. With the help of these leaders and the local San Francisco 
maritime unions, the world witnessed one of the greatest moments in 
sports history on the beautiful bay.
  The America's Cup is the oldest and most prestigious trophy in 
yachting. Team USA won the very first race in 1851 and had successfully 
defended the Cup for the next 132 years, until 1983. Exactly 30 years 
later, the Cup returned home where it belongs--in the hands of American 
sailors who defied the odds, were so courageous, were so disciplined, 
who were so focused, who had such a strategic plan to give our 
country--USA, USA, USA--a victory we will never forget.
  Thank you, Oracle Team USA, for putting your hearts, your souls, your 
everything, your all into the 34th America's Cup. You have earned your 
place in history.

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