They got further than any British team in 60 years, but INEOS Britannia fell at the final hurdle. Successful Olympic sailor Sir Ben Ainslie takes us inside the searing competition of the America's Cup – reflecting on the triumphs, the tragedies and the disparities that, in the end, made a crucial difference.
It feels strangely cathartic to sit down and write this piece some three weeks since the close of racing in Barcelona. As always with such intense scenarios, you’re living in the moment and, in many ways, closed off from the rest of the world. It’s only when you stop and have time to reflect that you can truly make sense of it all.
That we lost the America's Cup final will forever hurt, I can’t pretend otherwise. It’s 60 years since Britain last had a team racing in the Americas Cup and that was back in the days when the New York Yacht Club accepted a Nations challenge – you turned up without needing to go through the process of an international challenger series to earn the right. Clearly the opportunity is rare in the extreme and to fail at the final hurdle is tough. But that’s enough of the self-flagellation, let’s turn our attention to the positives instead...
Read More/The America's Cup explained in 3 easy pointsI am immensely proud of our team, INEOS Britannia. The perseverance, determination and courage shown by all involved was truly a privilege to witness. As was well documented at the time, we were slow out of the blocks. This was due, as is so often the case, to a multitude of factors but primarily a lack of time to tune up the race boat.
RB3 was a very different animal to T6, our test boat. The physical shape of the boat, the systems and the sail design were all a big step forward from where we had been and it took time to figure out what we had and how to make the boat sing. We also had issues early doors, as did many of the other teams, with our supplied tactical app which led us to a couple of unforced errors with early start entries and boundary penalties. The way the team rolled up their sleeves and knuckled down to the job at hand was awesome to see.
We had already had our fair share of issues in the three-year build-up to the Cup but these setbacks had made us stronger as an organisation and better-equipped to handle whatever came our way.
I think a good reminder to many of us is that we often learn more from our setbacks than from our victories. At this point, I must express my huge gratitude for the support from INEOS, all of our suppliers, the Royal Yacht Squadron and, of course, our wonderful fans whose support really made the difference.
The Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Series) provided some of the most thrilling racing. After a double round-robin, where each team – including the Kiwis – raced each other twice, one team was eliminated and it was sad to see Team France head for the exit. The French did a great job on a limited budget, utilising a Kiwi design package and a really talented young sailing squad led by Quentin Delapierre.
At INEOS Britannia, we had quite some turnaround from the slow start to win our final few races and pitch ourselves into a sudden death sail off with Luna Rossa for the coveted spot of top challenger. Luna Rossa had been unfortunate to have to abandon their final race in the series due to a system failure but it was a huge moment for our team to win this decisive match and have the right to pick our opponent in the semi-finals.
We duly picked Alinghi Red Bull racing, leaving Luna Rossa and American Magic to fight it out on the other side of the draw. Alinghi were great competitors and whilst the 5-2 scoreline looked slightly one-sided, the Swiss were tough competitors, especially in the lighter airs where they took two well-earned wins off us. On the other side of the draw, American Magic came back really strong after losing the first four races straight but ultimately went down to the Italians 3-5.
It’s worth noting the hugely unfortunate accident which beset American Magic on the eve of the semi-finals when Paul Goodison, their port side helmsman, fell down an open hatch whilst trying to help move a mainsail. Paul sustained significant injuries which made it impossible for him to sail. Lucas Calabrese, the reserve helm, stepped up in support of Paul and did an incredible job given the circumstances.
It was another hard knock for American Magic who, lest we forget, suffered the horrific and eventually campaign-ending capsize in the previous Cup in Auckland. That said, it was great to see American Magic performing so well. It’s such a strong statement for the event to see a competitive team from the New York Yacht Club being as steeped in the history of the Cup as they are.
The Louis Vuitton final was, in my slightly biased opinion, one of the greatest head-to-heads we’ve seen in the sport. The two teams have a history: in Auckland, we were well and truly beaten in the challenger's final but this final was much, much closer with the two boats very similar in performance. Luna Rossa had a very slight edge in the stronger winds and flatter water, whilst we went a bit better in the lighter airs and chop.
The end result was some stunning, nail-bitingly close racing, which was frankly an honour to have been a part of and I think showcased just how great our sport can be in the right boats and the right conditions. Ultimately, we came through to win the series 7-4 but it was close and the Italians were unfortunate to lose two races due to damage suffered either before or during racing.
At INEOS Britannia, we were relieved to have come through such a tough battle but knew that harder was yet to come against the Kiwis. It’s one of the accepted quirks of the Cup that whilst the challengers are bashing the hell out of each other, the defender gets to sit back and figure out how to modify or tune their boat for maximum performance gain.
The Kiwis do this better than anyone, their experience from over 30 years in the America's Cup game makes them an extremely slick and competitive outfit. We lost the first four races straight and something needed to give. In the end, that something was a comment during a live interview I was giving post-racing. I draw on a siege mentality when times are tough and I jumped on a rather clumsy comment from one of the commentators.
Knowing that the team were listening in, it was an opportunity to hit back and pose a rallying cry to fight and raise our game. We did raise our game, winning the next two races, but sadly it was short-lived. In the end, the Kiwis were simply better. In a straight line, there wasn’t much in the boats but their ability to re-accelerate, particularly out of tacks, and their stability in flight allowed more of their sailors to get their heads out of the boat and find the breeze. It was frustratingly impressive to witness first-hand.
So, that was that, but this America's Cup had so much more to offer. With the return of the Youth America's Cup it was great to see the young talent in World sailing get their opportunity to prove their worth. But what really made the statement and not a moment too soon was the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup.
Sailing as a sport has done a good job of promoting equity and opportunity but it’s been a while coming in the America's Cup. Bill Koch famously set up a full women's squad for his 1995 defence of the Cup, but other than that the opportunities for women in the Cup have been sparse. To have a fully crewed one-design AC40 for a female crew was a big moment for the Cup and the sport.
We the British team were incredibly fortunate to have such a strong role model in Hannah Mills. Around Hannah, we were able to create the Athena Pathway Programme and the team grew from there. With the APP now set up and well supported by some wonderful benefactors, the future is really bright with opportunities for British sailors looking to find their own pathway to the top of the sport.
Read More/Winds of change: how AC40 boats are advancing women’s racing at the highest international levelIt’s also worth a shout-out to Barcelona. The venue created an incredible atmosphere both on and off the water. We made some great friends and memories that will last a lifetime. The early indications are a significant rise in the media numbers and profile of the event, which is, of course, crucial to the continued development of the Cup.
As the Challenger of Record team, alongside the Royal Yacht Squadron, we are now responsible for working with the Kiwis on the terms for the next event. Despite being well beaten by them in the final, the two teams have a very healthy respect for one another and I’m confident that we can find the right balance to create another great sporting spectacle.
But make no mistake, we got into this America's Cup game to win it. Each time we compete, we get a step closer to the ultimate prize – and next time, we have to get the job done.
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