BMW ORACLE RACING CHRISTENS FIRST NEW HIGH-TECH YACHT

Table of contents BMW ORACLE Racing - Boat Christening USA 87 Press Information 27 March 2006 - Secret unveiled: USA 87 headed for the 32nd America's Cup - World-class hospitality experience set amidst an authentic sailing environment - Word by Word: Ian Burns - Word by Word: Prof. Dr. Raymond Freymann - The BMW ORACLE Racing Collection 2006 - Fact Sheet BMW ORACLE Racing - Facts & Figures USA 87 - BMW ORACLE Racing - Milestones - BMW ORACLE Racing Team - Portraits of the Sailors - BMW ORACLE Racing - The Team behind the Sailing Team - BMW ORACLE Racing - Overview of Partners, Sponsors and Suppliers - BMW and its commitment to yachting - BMW and its commitment to sports - Media Contact

Secret unveiled - USA 87 headed for the 32nd America's Cup. Festive ceremony
and dedication of the team base: BMW ORACLE Racing christens first new
high-tech yacht

Valencia, Spain. BMW ORACLE Racing's new America's Cup Class yacht was named
USA 87 in a spectacular christening ceremony tonight during the team's new base
opening festivities in Valencia. Sue Dickson, wife of BMW ORACLE Racing CEO
and skipper Chris Dickson, smashed a bottle of champagne across the bow of USA
87 to christen the team's new racing yacht. More than 500 guests, among them
the families of the team, partners and sponsors and more than 100 members of
the international media, witnessed the ceremony at the team base in the Port
America's Cup in Valencia.

"This is a great moment and milestone for our team," Chris Dickson said. "A
boat christening is always a moving event - for every designer and boatbuilder,
for every sailor, for all of us who have the privilege to take part in such a
magnificent campaign. USA 87 is the result of 1,000 hours of full-scale
two-boat testing and 30,000 man hours invested by our boatbuilding team. Over
the coming days and weeks, the challenge will be to tap the yacht's full
potential." Dickson thanked the BMW ORACLE Racing design team headed by Ian
Burns, the BMW contribution of automotive engineering know-how, the
boatbuilding team managed by Mark Turner, Tim Smyth and Mark Somerville, and
the sailing team who will now be testing the boat to develop its full potential.
Extremely strong and lightweight, the two-tonne carbon fiber hull of USA 87 was
constructed in the American coastal town of Anacortes, Washington, over the
past six months. At the end of February, the "Made in USA" hull traveled from
Seattle to Valencia in a spectacular manner - 8,900 km aboard a Russian Antonov
cargo plane with support from DHL Global Forwarding.
"Over the coming weeks, we will conduct sea trials with USA 87 as we work to
get the most from the innovative platform the design team and build team has
delivered," Dickson said. "We will continue to refine USA 87 in preparation for
the America's Cup racing in 2007."

Photo and video material are also available at www.bmor-photo.com and
www.bmor-video.com.

For further information please contact:

BMW Group
Nicole Stempinsky
Public Relations, BMW Sportscommunication
Tel.: +49 (0) 89-382 51584
Fax: +49 (0) 89-382 28017
E-Mail: nicole.stempinsky@bmw.de

Michael Kirsch
Head of Public Relations
Tel.: +49 (0) 89-382 25111
Fax: +49 (0) 89-382 28017
E-Mail: Michael.Kirsch@bmw.de

Internet: www.press.bmwgroup.com
E-Mail: presse@bmw.de