Ineos Team UK to start first phase of America's Cup bid in World Series regatta
- Published
The boats that fly: sailing as you have never seen it before
Ineos Team UK will be hoping to overcome a disrupted preparation when they start the first phase of their America's Cup bid on Thursday.
The team, featuring British Olympic champions Ben Ainslie and Giles Scott, will be taking part in the World Series regatta in New Zealand.
But damage to the boat mast has limited their time on the water in Auckland.
"We can't wait to get racing - this has been three years in the making," Ainslie, 43, said.
"These remarkable America's Cup boats are so complex that it will be a steep learning curve for all the teams, and whilst the teams won't be in their final configurations, I have no doubt that it will be a great spectacle for the fans."
The Duchess of Cambridge sent a video message wishing the Ineos team good luck on Tuesday.
"We are very grateful to the Duchess of Cambridge for her message of support and for those unable to join us here in Auckland we plan to put on a good show for you," Ainslie added.
Ainslie is hoping to give Britain their first America's Cup success
At the four-day event the British boat will take on America's Cup defenders Emirates Team New Zealand and fellow challengers, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and American Magic.
For the first time, the America's Cup, which has never been won by Britain, will be raced on 75-foot foiling monohulls, which lift out of the water to reduce drag.
The first three days has four round-robin races per day with all four teams racing each other twice.
The fourth day (Christmas Cup race) will have two knockout stages, the first consisting of two head-to-head match-ups, with the winners of each progressing to the final and the losers to a third/fourth match which will help decide the final rankings.
The pairing for the Christmas race semi-finals will be decided by the results of the World Series double round-robin.
The races are the only chance for boats to test themselves before the Challenger series starts on 15 January until 22 February.
The winner will then take on Team New Zealand from 6 March for the 36th America's Cup.