Great Britain to Compete in America's Cup After 60 Years

Great Britain will compete for the America’s Cup for the first time since 1964 after defeating Italy 7-4 in a qualifying event held in Barcelona. Ineos Britannia secured their place in the tournament by winning the first of two races on Friday, clinching the best-of-13 series against the Italian Luna Rossa team. This victory means that Great Britain will face New Zealand for the trophy on October 12.

Skippered by four-time Olympic champion Sir Ben Ainslie, the team has received substantial backing from British billionaire and Manchester United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Ainslie expressed his joy during the America’s Cup live broadcast, stating, “It’s a massive day for our team. This moment is for you.” Ratcliffe added, “It’s 60 years since we’ve been in this place.

They sailed a faultless race today,” and emphasized the significance of the achievement for British sailing, highlighting the America’s Cup as the oldest international trophy that Great Britain has yet to win. In the race, Ineos Britannia established a 150-meter lead after the first leg but Luna Rossa managed to close the gap to under 30 meters after the fifth leg.

Ultimately, the British team extended their lead and finished about 300 meters ahead of their Italian rivals. Additionally, British female sailor Hannah Mills the most successful female sailor in Olympic history aims to make history with her team in the first female-only America’s Cup. As skipper and co-helm of the British challenger Athena Pathway team, Mills focuses on enhancing diversity in sailing.

She remarked on the importance of the event, stating, “It’s crazy that it has taken this long for a female-only event,” and expressed hope that it signifies a major step forward in the sport.