Oracle BMW won its third consecutive race against America's Cup champion Alinghi of Switzerland to take a 3-1 lead in the Moet Cup on Wednesday.
The weather conditions again were spectacular on San Francisco Bay as Oracle won by 40 seconds, the biggest margin so far in the seven-race series.
Oracle BMW Racing, helmed by New Zealander Gavin Brady, had a slight lead at the start, which it stretched to 22 seconds at the windward mark.
The Moet Cup is a rematch of the America's Cup challenger finals from last January when Alinghi beat San Francisco-based Oracle 5-1 to advance to meet Team New Zealand. Alinghi then beat Team New Zealand to become the first European team in 152 years to win the America's Cup.
The Moet Cup is also the first in a series of regattas designed to make the America's Cup more fan-friendly. The races are on a shorter course, within view of spectators on the shore.
In the owner-driver series, Oracle's Larry Ellison won the start over Alinghi's Ernesto Bertarelli and never looked back, converting a three-second advantage over the start line into a dominant lead. Ellison leads Bertarelli 2-0.
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