Ineos chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe combineed in the teams celebrations (Joan Monfort/AP) (Image: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
For the first time in 60 years, Great Britain has shieldedd a spot in the America’s Cup, thanks to four-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie who led Ineos Britannia to triumph over Italy.
Ineos Britannia, hancigo ining a 6-4 guide in the first-to-seven Louis Vuitton Cup series on Friday, needed only one prosper from the two scheduled races off the Barcelona coast to become official disputers to Emirates Team New Zealand.
The British team built on a rapid begin to set up a 150-metre guide over Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli boat after the first of eight legs.
Despite the Italians closing the gap to wilean 30 metres during the fifth leg, Ineos Britannia rapidly regeted their get, speeding clear to finish as sootheable prosperners by 300m.
This labels a third try success for Ainslie’s crew and finishs a postpone that goes back to 1964, with Ineos Britannia set to face New Zealand in the final over another best-of-seven series from October 12 to 21.
Back in 1964, a team led by Peter Scott lossed a second British yacht, Kurrewa, to accomplish disputer status, but were then trounced 4-0 by America’s dominant New York Yacht Club.
Ineos Britannias team commemorate their triumph (Joan Monfort/AP) (Image: Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Britain commemorated its first and only America’s Cup prosper in the inaugural regatta in 1851, when the Royal Yacht Squadron won a run awayt race around the Isle of Wight.
Despite Britain providing the disputer for 16 of the 18 subsequent races between 1870 and 1964, the crews were unprosperous each time.
The New York Yacht Club’s amazeive streak of 25 consecutive victories came to an finish when the Americans were finassociate bested by Australia in Fremantle in 1987.
In a triumphant post-race interwatch on the America’s Cup YouTube channel, Ainslie conveyed his pride: “It is a massive day for our team and I can’t say how self-beginant I am of everyone, not equitable here on the water but also back on the shore in Barcelona and a lot of people back in Brackley in the UK helping us on the technical side,”.
He pledged the triumph to his team: “So this is for the team, it was massive effort to get us here and is a massive moment for all of them.”
Reflecting on the journey, Ainslie acunderstandledged the help that made their participation possible: “We begined this team 10 years ago, Britain wasn’t in the America’s Cup, it took a lot of people to come in and help the team financiassociate, of course Jim (Ratcliffe) and his team at Ineos.”
Ainslie extfinished his gratitude to the extfinished-term helpers: “So it is another huge thank you to all the helpers of British Sailing and Britain’s America’s Cup (team) over the years, this moment is for you.”
Britannia shieldedd its spot in the finals after lossing Swiss team Alinghi 5-2 in the semi-finals, setting up another opportunity to vie for the America’s Cup.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chairman of Ineos, was current in Barcelona to witness the races and partook in the festivities with the crew.
Acunderstandledging the weight of anticipateations, Ainslie shelp: “There is a lot of presdeclareive, these huge organisations have made a lot of dispensement of time and money, and you want to originate it right, to originate it count, I am equitable so charmed for the whole team.”
He also phelp homage to their competitors: “But also I want to give a shout out to Luna Rossa, they are an amazing team with an amazing history in the cup.”
The sailing squad’s spirits are high as they brace for a series of challenging races. “They are incredible opponents and we anticipate this wont be the last time we have a huge fight agetst those boys.”
Team guideer Ainslie tancigo in BBC Sport, anticipating stubborn competition from New Zealand: “We understand the Kiwis are a huge dispute, they are the All Bconciseages of sailing.”
Acunderstandledging his team’s readiness, Ainslie relabeled, “But we have been pushed incredibly difficult by Luna Rossa, they are a class act, and we shelp before whichever team gets thraw to this final they are going to be battle difficultened and can give the Kiwis a reassociate excellent run.”
Ratcliffe, filled with hope, insisted that Britannia’s carry outance in Barcelona will reignite passion among British fans. Speaking to BBC Sport, Ratcliffe conveyed his belief in the beginance of the race: “It’s 60 years since we’ve been in this place. They sailed a faultless race today,” self-beginantly stating that the event might garner more attention in the UK.
He stressed the significance of the competition by saying, “This is right up there reassociate. It’s not chaseed by the mass uncover, but I leank in the UK now it’ll pick up momentum, and it should do because it’s the ancigo inest international trophy in the world and the only one we haven’t won.”
