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The Billionaire And The Mechanic: How Larry Ellison And A Car Mechanic Teamed Up To Win Sailing's Greatest Race, The America's Cup (2013)

by Julian Guthrie(Favorite Author)

4.09 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0802121357 (ISBN13: 9780802121356)

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Grove Press

review 1: Compelling and fascinating account of how the America's Cup team came together to bring it back to the US the round before the most recent race (which will make for a great sequel). The politics of the local SF yachting scene drives Larry Ellison to this little club run by a guy who owns a radiator shop. All of what goes into building a boat that meets the rules, getting the best team of sailors, figuring out what are the best leaders of people vs. sailors vs. strategists is amazing. And it all takes place against the backdrop of the Silicon Valley scene, including the period when everything went over a cliff in 2001. Didn't realize until I read this how much time Larry Ellison and Steve Jobs spent together -- loved it when Jobs grabs Ellison and says something like, "... moreLarry, you don't need any more money! Stop worrying about the money!"Also makes you wonder how Ellison has any time to devote to Oracle -- given this huge effort on teh America's Cup, the many other sailing races he participates in, his flying, his home, his family/former wives/girlfriends, and the Indian Wells tennis tournament which he bought (he's also good friends with Nadal).A great inside look at a driven competitor in a world of many others like him.
review 2: Even though I knew going in that Larry Ellison's Oracle team won the America's Cup - twice, in fact - I still could not put the book down.The story of the near fatal Sydney-Hobart race that starts the book sets the pace for a dramatic and detailed look at the evolution of the America's Cup contests over the last 20 some years. For someone who knew virtually nothing about the technology and the politics and very little about the personalities involved, this was an eye opening and exciting read. The multi-hulled boats that competed in the last three Cup races are a quantum leap in sailboat racing that combines aerodynamic designs, space age materials and an unsurpassed level of skill to sail.Larry Ellison's determination to win is well documented. His ability to do so after twice losing the Cup is a testament to his perseverance, the quality of the people (designers, builders and crew) he chose to work with, and his willingness to pour almost limitless resources into the process.Norbert, the radiator repairman and commodore of the gritty, blue collar Golden Gate Yacht Club is a sympathetic character whose determination to save his failing club intersected with Ellison's determination to win the Cup at just the right moment. It's a fascinating story and very well written by a veteran San Francisco Chronicle reporter. less

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