Jimmy boxes with fast hands, serves a fast ball in tennis, needs horsepower under his right foot and, on a race boat, likes to “send it.” Jimmy is the America’s Cup’s youngest-ever winning skipper. Going fast is what he does.
He did on Feb. 14, 2010, at the helm of the most extreme yacht the competition has ever seen; the 90-foot long by 90-foot wide trimaran USA 17. In winning the 33rd America’s Cup as skipper of ORACLE Racing at the age of 30, he became the youngest skipper to ever win the revered trophy.
Spithill was also was the youngest to ever helm an America’s Cup yacht when he skippered Young Australia in the 1999-2000 Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series in New Zealand.
Twice he’s been named the Australian Male Yachtsman of the Year (2005-06 and 2009-10). Upon accepting the award a second time Spithill said,
“This might be an individual award, but there’s no way I could’ve achieved what I have without the help of ORACLE Racing team and my family. It was an incredible feeling to pull it all together and pull off the America’s Cup victory.”
Spithill also has a number of world titles to his credit, including the championship of 2005 match racing worlds, 2005 Melges 24 championship, 2010 RC 44 Match Racing championship and the 2010 RC 44 championship.
Spithill leads one of the team’s two entries in the America’s Cup World Series. The ORACLE TEAM USA – SPITHILL crew has included wingsail trimmer Dirk de Ridder, tactician John Kostecki, trimmer Joe Newton, and bowman Jonathan MacBeth.
He was the “test pilot” of the prototype AC45 catamaran class. “The AC45 is a high-adrenaline machine. It’s the coolest boat in the world today,” Spithill said. “The boats are physically demanding and it takes a lot to get them around the race track.”
Spithill is now at the helm of the next generation of America’s Cup yachts – the AC72 – and preparing to defend the Cup on the San Francisco Bay.
Career Highlights
2012:
- America’s Cup World Series San Francisco (October) Match Racing & Fleet Racing Championship, winner
- America’s Cup World Series San Francisco (August) Fleet Racing Championship, winner
- America’s Cup World Series San Francisco (August) Match Racing Championship, 2nd place
2011:
- America’s Cup World Series 2011-12 Season Champions
- America’s Cup World Series Newport, Fleet Racing Championship, 2nd place
- America’s Cup World Series Newport, Match Racing Championship, 2nd place
- America’s Cup World Series Venice, Fleet Racing Championship, 2nd place
- America’s Cup World Series Venice, Match Racing Championship, 3rd place
- America’s Cup World Series Naples, Fleet Racing Championship, 2nd place
- America’s Cup World Series San Diego Match Racing Championship, winner
- America’s Cup World Series San Diego Fleet Racing Championship, winner
- America’s Cup World Series Plymouth Fleet Racing Championship, winner
- America’s Cup World Series Cascais Match Racing Championship, winner
- America’s Cup World Series Cascais Overall Championship, 3rd place
2010:
- 33rd America’s Cup, BMW ORACLE Racing, winner
- RC 44 2010 World Championship, Yacht 17, winner
- International C Class Catamaran Championship, runner-up
- Australian Male Sailor of the Year
- 33rd America’s Cup, BMW ORACLE Racing, winner
2009:
- International A Class Catamaran World Championship, 6th place
- Australian Male Sailor of the Year
2007:
- Louis Vuitton Cup, Luna Rossa Challenge, finalist
2006:
- Australian Male Sailor of the Year
2005:
- ISAF Match Race World Championship, winner
- Melges 24 World Championship, winner
- Bermuda Gold Cup, winner
- Australian Male Sailor of the Year
2003:
- Louis Vuitton Cup, OneWorld, semifinalist
2000:
- Louis Vuitton Cup, Young Australia