We cheered loudly, waved our flags proudly and dared to dream.
And while INEOS Britannia’s quest to #BringtheCupHome may have ended in defeat this time around at the hands of an impressive Emirates Team New Zealand, there’s much to be buoyed by as the curtain comes down on the 37th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup.
British talent broke boundaries out in Barcelona, with Sir Ben Ainslie’s team setting a new standard for British sailing in the America’s Cup.
INEOS Britannia was the first British team to win an America’s Cup Challenger Series. It was the first British boat to enter the Cup Match in 60 years and the first to score points in the Cup Match for 90 years, which saw a final scoreline of 7-2 to the Kiwi Defenders.
Alongside this, Hannah Mills’s Athena Pathway team made history not only competing in the first ever Puig Women’s America’s Cup but pushing eventual winners Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli tantalising close in the one-off final match race for the trophy.
With the Athena Pathway’s youth team also finishing third in the Unicredit Youth America’s Cup, the events in Barcelona have shone a spotlight on the breadth and depth of British talent involved in these campaigns – both on the water and behind the scenes – with much of this talent borne out of the RYA’s youth and Olympic programmes.
The 173-year wait for the ‘Auld Mug’ continues for UK sailing fans, but the ripple effects of highly competitive British Challengers this time and the doors that are now opened to female sailors looking for their chance at the highest level of the sport will continue.
As Hannah Mills said at the conclusion of the women’s event: “This is just the beginning for women’s sailing and women in the America’s Cup.”
“For all the young girls watching, this is happening and it will be your turn next.”
‘Next’ may not be all that far off as the race for the 38th America’s Cup has, in fact, already begun.
Ainslie has vowed to “keep going until we get that job done” and so the Royal Yacht Squadron, under whose flag Ineos Britannia race, has had its challenge to the Kiwis for another match accepted.
The British team is now the official Challenger of Record for the 38th America’s Cup, with the protocol – the rules and framework for the next edition – expected to be published in mid 2025.
The RYA’s clubs, youth and British Sailing Team programmes, elite coaching and training environments help ensure Britain continues to produce top-tier sailing talent and performances that inspire the next generation.
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