There has been a significant shift in Barcelona, where, after six tranquil days, the waves finally intensified enough to propel Ineos Britannia to their inaugural points in the 37th America’s Cup. The British vessel, helmed by Sir Ben Ainslie, secured victories in both races of the day, narrowing the gap to Emirates Team New Zealand to 4-2 in the best-of-seven series. These were the first points earned by Great Britain in an America’s Cup race since 1934, when Endeavour, captained by aviation pioneer Sir Tomas Sopwith, fell 4-2 to the US yacht Rainbow, skippered by Harold Vanderbilt.
“This win is for everyone, both on the boat and on land,” Ainslie remarked, “there’s still a long journey ahead, but the comeback has begun.” The sea conditions were notably rougher than previous days, catching Emirates Team New Zealand off guard. They made a critical error before the start of the first race by disengaging their foils. The light wind left them stranded, while Britannia maneuvered around them. Ainslie exploited the dead zone created by the turbulent air from his sails, establishing an insurmountable lead. They finished over a kilometer ahead, winning by 1 minute and 18 seconds.
Ineos Britannia’s second victory quickly followed. The wind had strengthened, and Ainslie’s exceptional pre-start maneuvering ensured his boat reached the start-line simultaneously with Emirates Team New Zealand but with a 10-knot speed advantage. This control gave Ineos Britannia the upper hand. Emirates New Zealand’s skipper, Pete Burling, made a few uncharacteristic errors while attempting to catch up. Britannia also experienced a minor splash after their penultimate turn but recovered to win by seven seconds.
More details to come.
