The Americas Cup came to Portsmouth last month showcasing an enthralling day of competitive racing. With everything still to fight for in the final leg in Bermuda next year Con Crowley reports on the action
Portsmouth’s bid to become Britain’s number one seaside city took a step closer when it hosted one of the most exciting legs of the America’s Cup series in its 165 year history this summer.
Sir Ben Ainslie’s locally based Land Rover BAR team is now on course to win the coveted trophy with everything hinging on the final leg in Bermuda next year.
Getting the America’s Cup Series to Portsmouth, just a short trip down the A3 for Surrey residents, was a real coup for the city council, and it has now become the only location on the series to host it twice having held the first event in 2015.
And its return this year saw Sir Ben top the leader board in the competition started by Queen Victoria in 1851 as a race around the Isle of White
Britain has never won the trophy since, so if Sir Ben can keep on course with the remaining events in Toulon, France Fukuoka in Japan and then Bermuda next year, it will be the icing on the cake for Portsmouth where the Land Rover Bar team is based.
There were 30,000 people on the water and as many again in the enclosed village on land, to watching the event.
Sir Ben Ainslie, Team Principle and Skipper, Land Rover BAR said;
"Personally, it was a special moment in my sailing career and I have never seen crowds like that at a sailing event,"
"The amount of people that came out on the water, on the shore line and in the Race Village to support the event completely blew us away. It meant a huge amount to us to perform well in front of our home crowd and I cannot tell you how proud I am of the team that we have got as far as we have in the space of time we have had.
"Two years ago Land Rover BAR did not exist and now we are beating established teams, we have an incredible state-of-the-art base in Portsmouth and over 130,000 people turning out to cheer us on at our home regatta. The event was an incredible success with great racing and a great atmosphere and one can imagine what it would be like if we were able to win the actual America's Cup next June in Bermuda and bring it home to Great Britain for the first time since 1851."
Yvonne Clay, senior marketing manager at Portsmouth’s retail hub, Gunwharf Quays, a sponsor of the event said: “We welcomed record numbers of visitors during the weekend, with the America’s Cup World Series helping to showcase Portsmouth to a global audience.”
For more information visit americascup.com
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