James Spithill

Who is James Spithill?

James Spithill is an Australian yachtsman. He was born in Sydney.

After some junior match race titles, in 1998 he arrived third in the Sydney-Hobart and first in the Kenwood Cup.

He confirmed his ability by winning numerous races in the following years, including twice the Nations Cup, and obtaining a second place in the 2003 Match Race World Championship. In 2005 he was Match Race World Champion. In 2010, as skipper and helmsman for BMW Oracle Racing, Spithill became the youngest ever winner of the America's Cup. He led an amazing defense of the America's Cup in 2013, when Oracle Team USA came back from a -2 penalty score at the start to win 9-8 against Emirates Team New Zealand on the final race.

He debuted in the America's Cup in 2000 with Young Australia, showing his precocious talent despite leading an antiquated boat. At the age of 20, he was the youngest helmsman in the America's Cup.

In 2003 he led Oneworld in the America's Cup, reaching the semifinal of the Louis Vuitton Cup, where he was beaten by Oracle BMW Racing.