Oracle Sails High
Only two of the four airfoils are in the water, reducing drag to near zero.

The Mariners Museum in Newport News has landed the Oracle, winner of the 2017 America’s Cup off Bermuda. The behemoth sailboat is suspended from the ceiling of a specially made wing of the museum. It harkens back to the Spirit of St. Louis suspended from the ceiling of the old Smithsonian.

Oracle’s light weight and amazing airfoils enabled it to surpass 50 mph as it came from behind 8-1 to beat New Zealand 9-1 for the Cup. The identical boats weigh perhaps 1 one-thousandth of the 20th century Navy ships and cruise liners portrayed elsewhere in the museum.

To get to the exhibit, one has to navigate through the Monitor Center, the elaborate display of the Monitor vs. Merrimac battle in Hampton Roads during the Civil War. One also has to pass through a detailed exhibit on the US Navy. It includes an aerial photo of the USS Enterprise, the first nuclear aircraft carrier. The photo shows sailors lined up to depict Einstein’s equation.

Admission to the museum has been reduced to $1 to build audience, which has since doubled.

Since this iconic boat emerged, the America’s Cup and even the Vendee race have convered to air foils. Developers figured out to outfit not just catamarans but sloops as well. The 2021 Vendee solo race around the world became dominated by foiled sloops. The winner came in under 80 days, a Jules Verne fantasy come true. Before long, foils accompanied small cats that came onto the commercial market. Initial pricing: $400,000. Foils on commercial sloops will be close behind.

Let’s Go Sail

Scroll down Rates and pick a day for a sailboat charter. Scroll down Reviews on Trip Advisor. Go back to the Home Page of Williamsburg Charter Sails.  

oracle sails high oracle sails high oracle sails high

More from the Captain...

Sailing on the York

York Sailing

Ever since 1982, a blind man has always wanted to be on the water sailing, and he did it here. Let’s go sail.

Full Story >
Boy Sailor

Boy Sailor

A Yorktown dad drove over the Coleman Bridge to take his 8-year-old son sailing for the first time. Sirish Mulpur was thinking about buying a boat. “Noah is really excited about this. I don’t know where he got the idea, but he’s been reading and research about sailing. Today’s the

Full Story >
York Rescue

York Rescue

Let’s Go Sail alerted a nearby powerboat to rescue a stranded small sailboat with three people on board. They returned safely.

Full Story >