Britain will compete for the America’s Cup for the first time in 60 years after securing the sole victory needed on Friday to pip their Italian rivals to the right to face the defending champions, New Zealand, next week.
Ineos Brittania won the first of two scheduled races in Barcelona on Friday to become the first boat to take seven victories, defeating Luna Rossa 7-4 in the best of 13 series for the Louis Vuitton Cup.
The British campaign, led by the four-time Olympic gold medal-winning sailor Ben Ainslie, will now seek to wrestle the “Auld Mug” from the New Zealanders in the America’s Cup from 12 to 17 October. Victory would be the first for British sailing since the competition began in 1851.
In the crucial leg, Britannia led Luna Rossa from early on, opening up a significant lead in a flawless opening two legs, finding clear air as the chaser found turbulence and was forced into extra manoeuvres. Ainslie’s team had control, with their assembled fans clapping them on as they led at the halfway stage. The Italians gave chase, closing the gap in the fifth leg right down to below the 20m mark, the wind conditions playing into their hands but they found no means to pass their opponents.
With three legs to go, Luna Rossa tried to put on more pressure and waited for their opportunity to pass but Britannia continued to play it safe, and opened the gap back up. Britannia led into the final leg, Ainslie steering into the greater wind to maintain a lead the desperate Italians could not close. They passed the finish line with a clear distance, Ainslie telling his crew: “We’ve got one more to go, boys.”
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Ainslie’s co-helm, Dylan Fletcher, who won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 himself, will come up against the sailors he and Stuart Bithell pushed into silver, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who lead the New Zealand America’s Cup challenge.
The last time Britain sailed in the America’s Cup was in 1964 with a boat skippered by Peter Scott, the son of the Antarctic explorer Robert Scott.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the co-owner of Manchester United who also owns the elite Ineos Grenadiers cycling team, with an interest in Formula One’s Mercedes team, could celebrate one of his greatest successes beyond the petrochemical business that made his billionaire fortune.
More details to follow …
