‘The comeback is on’: Ainslie’s Britannia crew earn first America’s Cup points

After waiting 90 years and six long days for a victory, suddenly two arrive at the same time. The atmosphere has shifted significantly at the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, where the conditions have improved enough for Ineos Britannia to secure their first victories in the best-of-13 series.

The British team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, handled the rough waters much more effectively than Emirates Team New Zealand, securing victory in both races of the day. They are now behind four to two as they head into the seventh and eighth races scheduled for Friday afternoon. “We have a long way to go,” Ainslie mentioned, “but we’re making a comeback.”

These marks represented Great Britain's first victories in the America’s Cup since 1934, when the yacht Endeavour, led by the aviation trailblazer Sir Thomas Sopwith, fell short against the American yacht Rainbow, which was helmed by railroad tycoon Harold Vanderbilt. During the initial races that year, Endeavour faced significant challenges, as it was equipped with full living quarters for the entire crew, including a bathtub in the captain’s cabin, which put it at a notable disadvantage compared to Rainbow.

This was a misstep that Ineos Britannia has wisely avoided repeating nearly a century later. However, similar to Sopwith, who ultimately discarded unnecessary weight, they have been working on their boat, trying to gain some additional speed.

Emirates Team New Zealand opted to take the reserve day off on Tuesday. In contrast, Ineos Britannia put in a demanding day on the water, fine-tuning their boat in challenging conditions. The difference was evident. Led by Pete Burling, the New Zealand team struggled with the changing sea conditions. Before the first race began, they made a critical error after Britannia pressured them into executing a sluggish jibe to dodge a collision, which caused them to lose lift from their foils.

The gentle breeze caused their boat, Taihoro, to remain still in the water, while Britannia happily circled around them, leaving the New Zealand crew caught in their turbulent wake. As the race got underway, Britannia zoomed ahead with an uncatchable lead, while Taihoro sat frozen at the starting line.

Britannia quickly made their second point. Ainslie’s excellent tactics before the race allowed them to pass under New Zealand, reaching the starting line with a 10-knot speed lead. This enabled Ineos Britannia to take charge of the race. Burling made a few unusual errors as he rushed to close the gap, and although Britannia also splashed down after their next turn, they managed to regroup effectively and ultimately won by seven seconds.

"It turned out to be a great day for the team. We recovered well after a challenging beginning," Ainslie mentioned. "I’m truly impressed with how everyone responded and put in the effort to make improvements over the past two days."

Ainslie was certain that the New Zealand team erred by not going out on the water on Tuesday. “That day was huge for our team and really boosted our confidence that we can make a comeback,” he commented.

"Each time we're on the water, we truly believe we're discovering new capabilities in the boat. Our main focus is improving our own performance instead of concentrating on what the Kiwis are doing. I can't speculate about their thoughts, but I can assure you that our team is committed to putting in the effort every single day to uncover those improvements. The key now is to maintain that momentum and carry it through."

Ainslie played a key role in Team Oracle USA's incredible comeback against Team New Zealand, overcoming an 8-1 deficit to win 9-8 in the 2013 America's Cup held in San Francisco. He relied on that invaluable experience this past Monday when Ineos Britannia found itself trailing 4-0 in the series.

“It’s a time to gather everyone and remind them: ‘Hey, we're still in this, so keep your spirits up.’ We anticipated it would be challenging, and the Kiwis started strong, but it was crucial for us to believe in the team and continue striving for improvement. Each day we grow stronger and discover new possibilities for the boat,” he said. “We can rest later.”