A British yacht is back in the America’s Cup finals for the first time since 1964 after INEOS Britannia defeated Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on Friday.
Britannia secured the winning point for a 7-4 series victory after a fast and smooth race, finishing 17 seconds ahead of Luna Rossa. The yacht won the Louis Vuitton Cup for being the best among five challengers.
Skippered by Olympic champion Ben Ainslie, Britannia will next compete against defending champion Team Emirates New Zealand in a series where the first to win seven times takes the America’s Cup, starting on October 12.
Despite having the most Olympic medals in sailing and a strong maritime history, Britain has never won the biggest prize in the sport, a wait that has lasted 173 years.
“One more to go boys!” Ainslie told his sailors, who celebrated joyfully as they crossed the finish line.
Britain has been pursuing the America’s Cup ever since the schooner America won the very first race in 1851, defeating the Royal Yacht Squadron in a loop around the Isle of Wight, with Queen Victoria present. This is the 23rd time Britain has challenged for the Auld Mug, more than any other country.
Now, it is the closest Britain has come to winning the cup in sixty years.
They will face a New Zealand team that has won the last two editions in 2017 and 2021. As the defending champions in this winner-takes-all competition, the Kiwis had the opportunity to choose the rules and location of the races, giving them an advantage that the British will need to overcome.
