Will's role
Date of Birth: September 14, 1972
Nationality: Australia
Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia
Position/responsibility: Grinder
Will McCarthy joined ORACLE Racing in June 2011 to help bolster the grinding corps and there couldn’t have been a better selection.
Will has won the America’s Cup twice as a grinder aboard America’s Cup Class sloops. Those yachts required a lot of grinding power to get them around the racecourse. After watching the team’s AC45’s in San Francisco during a training session, Will thinks the task ahead in the AC72 catamarans will be more challenging.
“In the ACC sloops you knew the loads on the sheets and halyards were never going to pass a certain range,” says Will. “After watching the AC45’s dart around, I can only imagine how the AC72’s will load up.”
Will enjoys the team aspect of an America’s Cup syndicate such as ORACLE Racing, where everyone strives for a common goal: winning. Will has been a champion sailor throughout his life.
He started out racing Lasers and skiffs before moving on to one-design keelboats such as the Etchells class. He’s been part of crews on maxi yachts such as Alfa Romeo that have won line honors in the prestigious Sydney-Hobart Race and Fastnet Race.
Career Highlights
2010: 33rd America’s Cup, Alinghi, finalist
2007: 32nd America’s Cup, Alinghi, winner
2003: 31st America’s Cup, Alinghi, winner
Louis Vuitton Cup, Alinghi, winner
Fastnet Race, Alfa Romeo, winner
Giraglia Cup, Alfa Romeo, winner (race record)
2000: Sydney-Hobart Race, winner
Etchells World Championship, 4th place