With just one day to go until the first round of the 37th America’s Cup kicks off in Barcelona, INEOS Britannia Team Principal and Captain Ben Ainslie said the teams were “now racing for victory where every point counts” and that the event was “set to be one of the best ever”.
On Thursday, the Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Selections Series) kicks off, which will determine which of the five teams will face Defender Emirates Team New Zealand in a battle to win the world’s oldest international sporting trophy. The series begins with a double Round Robin, where each team will race their AC75 boats against each other twice before the team with the fewest points is eliminated.
Ainslie said the AC75 racer was the “pinnacle” of design and engineering in the sailing world, with INEOS Britannia collaborating with the Mercedes AMG-Petronas Formula One team to design and build their boat.
“It is a privilege to sail on this AC75,” said Ainslie.
“Their performance was absolutely stunning, both upwind and downwind, which I think will surprise those watching. With the AC75s in action in a stunning venue like Barcelona, this really is going to be one of the best America’s Cups yet.”
The Louis Vuitton Cup follows on from the Preliminary Regatta held in Barcelona last week (22-25 August), where the six teams competed in their AC75s for the first time. INEOS Britannia, the British Challenger of Record racing for the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd, won both races, beating Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI) and Orient Express Racing Team (FRA).
Reflecting on the result, Ainslie said: “We would have liked to have won more races, but there were a lot of positives and lessons to take from the four days of racing. We saw how important the pre-start was, and there were some good moments from us, but also some silly mistakes that happened, which is all part of getting used to driving the boat. As a team, we are now focused on Round Robins and feel we have a lot more to give in terms of the performance of the boat, the way we sail it and our manoeuvres – so there is still a lot of development to come. As a team, we are in a really good place, feeling positive and motivated.”
While the Louis Vuitton Cup is used to determine which of the five teams will face Emirates Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup Match, the Kiwis will be taking part in a double Round Robin. While they are competing, points for their race will not count towards them or the team they are facing.
Speaking at a pre-event press conference, Ainslie said: “There was some discussion about whether Defender points should count and that was a good debate. I’m not saying Pete Burling would try to do that, but if points count they could try to manipulate the results, so in the end I think what was agreed was fair. Of course, by going into the Round Robins the Kiwis have a chance to watch the Challengers, but it also gives us a chance to learn, and considering the Kiwis won the Preliminary Regatta I think it’s fair to say we learn more from them than they learn from us.”
Joining Ainslie aboard the team’s AC75 Britannia for the Louis Vuitton Cup are Dylan Fletcher as Co-Helm, Bleddyn Mon and Leigh McMillan as Trimmers and four rotating Cyclors, drawn from nine athletes who rotate on and off the boat between races. The Cyclors crew consists of: David ‘Freddie’ Carr, Ben Cornish, Matt Gotrel, Neil Hunter, Harry Leask, Luke Parkinson, Matt Rossiter, James Skulczuk and Ryan Todhunter.
The Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Selections Series) kicks off on Thursday and UK viewers can watch all the action live on TNT Sports from 1pm BST (2pm CEST). One team will be eliminated after a double Round Robin stage, with the four remaining teams advancing to the Semi-Finals and then two teams advancing to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, the winner of which will face Emirates Team New Zealand in a battle to win the world’s oldest sporting trophy – the 37th America’s Cup.
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