According to reports from the United States, retailer Banana Republic has agreed a last-minute deal to supply formal clothing to Oracle Team USA as it makes its defence of the America’s Cup.
Banana Republic joins a long list of suppliers to the team including Puma, which is supplying the team with its competition clothing.
Oracle Team USA, owned by Larry Ellison, is poised to defend the America’s Cup this summer, although the event in San Francisco has been significantly diminished as a result of the high cost of the AC72 boats selected by Ellison and his organising team for competition.
Only three challenging teams, Artemis, Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand, remain in contention to take the Cup out of Ellison’s hands. However, the Italian Luna Rossa outfit refused to take the start of the opening challenger selection series race on Sunday as arguments continue over the rules implemented in the wake of Artemis sailor Andrew Simpson’s death during a training accident earlier this year.
