The skippers
Ben Ainslie (Ineos Britannia, representing Great Britain) Ben has a proven track record of winning throughout his career. He’s a leader who pulls people together and he’s known for being a ruthless competitor. He snatched his final Olympic gold in the dying moments of the last race at London 2012. For him, it’s never over until it’s over. The Ineos Britannia team had a tough time three years ago at the last America’s Cup, but Ben was open afterwards, admitting the few things they got wrong but vowing to keep fighting. He is relentless in his approach and work ethic and he did win the America’s Cup with Oracle Team USA in 2013, so knows what it takes.
Pete Burling (Emirates Team New Zealand, representing New Zealand) This is a real battle of the titans because Ben and Pete are arguably the two most successful, talked about sailors in the sport over recent decades. Pete is a very different character to Ben – he holds his cards closer to his chest, certainly in the media. He’s a quieter guy and almost a bit of a silent assassin. I’m good friends with his longtime Olympic coach Hamish Willcox and he always says Pete has such an amazing ability to handle the complexities of the sport. He says there is no one else who can cope with so many variables in a very methodical, calm fashion. He’s won the America’s Cup twice before with Emirates Team New Zealand.
The crews
GB There are a few characters on the Ineos team who have been there for all three America’s Cup cycles and it’s important to have that continuity. Some of the guys behind the scenes have been with Ben for even longer, which counts for a lot. But there’s also a few new faces, and the co-helm, Dylan Fletcher, is one of those. He’s a very talented guy in these foiling classes and has an inbuilt need for speed. They went with him over double Olympic champion Giles Scott. But Giles is a very level-headed guy and his influence on the outcome will be huge – he’s still the team’s head of sailing and I’m sure he will be training in case of injury.
NZ Pete and his co-helm, Nathan Outteridge, have an interesting relationship. They were training partners during their Olympic days when Nathan and his teammate Iain Jensen (now part of the Ineos Britannia setup) won gold at London 2012 for Australia, and Pete and Blair Tuke (who is an Emirates Team trimmer) won silver for New Zealand. The following Olympics those two pairs swapped for gold and silver. We have hardly seen Pete and Nathan race together, but there’s nothing like having a battle with someone for so many years to develop the utmost respect for their abilities. Then there’s Pete and Blair, who have spent so much time together in boats that I imagine they are connected on some other wavelength.
The boats
GB The AC75 boats were first used for the last America’s Cup, but they seem miles closer, visually, than three years ago. We saw some very different designs then but, with another few years under their belt, they appear to have come closer together, particularly in the foils. To my eye, the Ineos boat looks badass – a seriously cool piece of kit. They have worked with the Mercedes Formula One team, which must have been beneficial, as those guys will have been perfecting flow dynamics and power output for decades. The evolution of this Ineos boat’s performance from the first time we saw it in April is unreal.
NZ To my eye, the Emirates boat looks pretty similar to last time out. They won it then, so haven’t had to change as much as the challenger. It certainly worked for them in 2021. You never know so much with the defender because they don’t have to show their hand at the preliminary regattas. Are they sandbagging and holding their cards tight to their chest? Probably. But are they at a disadvantage from not having some close-combat racing in the buildup competitions? Surely, yes.
The pre-start
GB The start line is where you can do a ton of damage before the race has even begun. At the America’s Cup, they enter the arena two minutes before the race starts, so they are actually in combat and racing already. They will be jostling for position, manipulating each other, and trying to slow each other down. It’s really close combat. The Brits are often outwardly bold and vocal about wanting to come and take the win. I think you will see that play out here. I know Ben is comfortable in close combat – we saw that in his Olympic days – so I could well imagine him wanting to take the fight to the other boat.
NZ It’s a stereotypical thing but, having raced against them all my life, I often find Kiwi sailors to be calm and cool under pressure. There are fewer words spoken. At the last America’s Cup, I remember Pete almost wanting to distance his boat from the other competitor at the pre-start. But was that because they knew their boat was faster so they wanted space? I think so. This time I think the boats are probably much closer in speed, so we might see some much tighter pre-starts. But let’s not forget that Pete and Nathan have spent half their life at the front of the podium as well, so they will be comfortable if that’s what is required.
Luke Patience was speaking to Ben Bloom
