LONDON (Reuters) – Ben Ainslie said his British team are focused on eking further improvements out of themselves and their AC75 boat as they enter the next phase of their America’s Cup campaign in Barcelona.
After what Ainslie called some race “rustiness”, the British clicked during the challenger round-robins which ended on Monday and as top crew get to choose their semi-final opponent.
“We’ve found some really, really big gains, and have some great momentum in the team now, and we’ve seen that with the performances in the last week or so,” Ainslie told Reuters on a video call from his team’s Mediterranean base on Tuesday.
The 47-year-old said they had addressed “some set up issues around the boat”, but was reticent about details as they work out how to clinch the Louis Vuitton Cup and with it the right to challenge America’s Cup defenders New Zealand.
“I have to be careful I’m not giving too much away here, but you can see that our manoeuvres are getting better and just the nuances of things like the tactical app that we use to help us get off the start and get around the race course,” he said.
Ainslie praised the input of his coaches and the shore team “working 24/7” to keep Britannia reliable and race ready.
Also crucial, Ainslie said, are the team’s partners at Mercedes, whose Formula One designers and analysts are “trawling through the data and trying to figure out how we can set the boat up better, how we can sail the boat better”.
With Britannia now undergoing “a couple of little tweaks”, Ainslie aims to be back out on the water on Thursday and Friday “searching for performance gains” ahead of the start of the challenger semi-finals, which begin on Saturday.
As to who Britain will pick, Ainslie said the decision would be taken on Friday and be based on the weather forecast and factors such as past performance and rate of development.
“We will make a pragmatic decision on the day,” Ainslie said, admitting that while he probably had a gut feeling who he would be facing, it was “too early to say for sure”.
Whether it is Italy, who Britain beat in a sail-off for top spot, Switzerland or the United States, will be a team decision.
“We try and make these important decisions as a team. We involve the right people and try to make collective decisions. Ultimately, if we can’t make a decision then I’ll have to make the decision but it doesn’t happen too often,” Ainslie joked.
Whoever they face, the most successful Olympic sailor is relishing his quest to win the ‘Auld Mug’ for Britain for the first time since it began in 1851.
“It’s a real privilege to get to helm these boats, to be with the team out in the water. It’s an amazing challenge to compete for the America’s Cup. It’s hard work, but it’s incredibly rewarding,” Ainslie added.
(Reporting by Alexander Smith; Editing by Toby Davis)
