Wed Oct 02 16:57:23 UTC 2024: ## Britain on the Brink of America’s Cup Return After 60 Years
**Barcelona, Spain** – Great Britain is poised to return to the America’s Cup after a 60-year absence, with Ben Ainslie’s Ineos Britannia team taking a commanding 6-4 lead in the Louis Vuitton Cup series. The British team needs just one more point to secure a place in the final against the defending champions, New Zealand, scheduled for October 12-17.
The team, backed by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group, edged out Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in two closely fought races on Wednesday, despite challenging conditions off the coast of Barcelona.
“It was a great effort from the entire team,” said Ainslie, a four-time Olympic sailing champion and skipper of the Britannia team. “It’s very hard to sail these boats on these waves and it’s difficult to explain to people just how tough it is. You’re constantly on a knife edge.”
The British team capitalized on a mistake by the Italians in the first race, while the second race saw a close battle that ultimately went in favor of the Britannia. They now have the opportunity to end Britain’s long wait to compete in the world’s oldest sporting competition.
New Zealand, having won the 36th America’s Cup in 2021, automatically qualified for the final. The Louis Vuitton Cup serves as a qualifier for the challenger to face the defending champion.
The Britannia team, led by co-helm Ainslie, will continue their quest for the final on Friday. They qualified for the Louis Vuitton Cup final by beating the Swiss team Alinghi 5-2 in the semi-finals.
This year’s America’s Cup also features a new women’s event, with Hannah Mills, Britain’s most successful female Olympic sailor, leading a 12-strong British squad in the qualification races starting on October 5th.
First Piper 