Follow the action as GBR aims to write America’s Cup history
INEOS Britannia in action © Ricardo Pinto/America’s Cup
Sir Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia will line up to challenge in the 37th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup starting this weekend.
It’s the first time in 60 years that a British Challenger has earned the right to race for sport’s oldest trophy – a trophy that has never been won by a British team in its 173-year history.
And with momentum building following an incredible 7-4 win over Italian syndicate Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, Ainslie and crew will look to continue their steely performances when they take on Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand in the first-to-seven Cup Match starting on Saturday 12 October.
Hannah Mills’s Athena Pathway team will also be fighting it out in the first ever Puig Women's America's Cup match this Saturday 12 October. They topped their qualifying group and then the semi-finals standings after four nail-biting races on Friday evening to set up a final showdown against Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.
It will be a huge weekend for British sailing, with both teams battling to further their respective chapters in America’s Cup history.
Here’s all you need to know to follow the action and get behind the British Challengers.
What is the America’s Cup?
Considered one of sport’s toughest tests, only four countries have ever won the America’s Cup. It blends cutting-edge design, engineering and innovation with sailing mastery from the world’s best talents, and is a unique competition in that the winner decides the rules for the next event, making them extremely hard to beat.
When is the racing happening?
The 37th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup kicks off on Saturday 12 October for Ainslie's INEOS Britannia, with the provisional schedule as follows:
Saturday 12 October – racing
Sunday 13 October – racing
Monday 14 October – reserve day
Wednesday 16 October – racing
Thursday 17 October – reserve day
Friday 18 October – racing
Saturday 19 October – racing*
Sunday 20 October – racing*
Monday 21 October – racing*
* If needed. Additional reserve days are scheduled from 22-27 October.
Two races per day can be sailed, and the first team to take seven race wins will lift the America’s Cup.
In the Puig Women’s America’s Cup, Athena Pathway will square off in a match race against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, also on Saturday 12 October, to determine the event's first ever winner.
Racing starts from 1pm UK time on race days.
Athena Pathway takes flight © Ian Roman/America’s Cup
Who’s onboard for the British teams?
Joining Ainslie as co-helm on the AC75 Britannia is Olympic 49er gold medallist Dylan Fletcher, with Leigh McMillan and Bleddyn Mon the two trimmers onboard. Four cyclors from a pool of nine athletes rotate between the races and keep the boat’s systems fully powered. These include returning British America’s Cup campaigners David ‘Freddie’ Carr, Ben Cornish, Matt Gotrel and Neil Hunter as well as Australia’s Luke Parkinson and former British Finn sailor James Skulczuk. Olympic rowing powerhouses Harry Leask, Matt Rossiter and Ryan Todhunter complete the line-up.
On Athena Pathway’s AC40, Hannah Mills has reunited with her former Olympic gold and silver medal-winning crew Saskia Clark who joins her as starboard trimmer. Tash Bryant, a strategist for the Australian SailGP team, is the port helm alongside Britain’s former Nacra 17 world silver medallist, Volvo Ocean Race and SailGP competitor Hannah Diamond.
How can I watch?
In the UK, live coverage can be streamed for free on the America’s Cup website, its YouTube and Facebook channels. Coverage will also be available throughout on TNT Sports and Eurosport/Discovery, and BBC Sport has just announced that it will be airing the first two of INEOS Britannia's races on Saturday 12 October live across the BBC Sport website, iPlayer and BBC Sport app.
For those considering a last-minute trip to Barcelona to support and soak up the atmosphere, the America’s Cup website has all the info for on land and on water viewing options.