America's Cup 2021: Ben Ainslie's Ineos Team UK make poor start
- Published
The boats that fly: sailing as you have never seen it before
Prada Cup final |
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Venue: Auckland, New Zealand Dates: 13-22 February |
Coverage: Watch live streaming of races three and four on Sunday, 14 February, from 03:00-05:00 GMT on BBC iPlayer, BBC Red Button & BBC Sport website. Watch highlights of the remaining races on Wednesday, 24 February, from 16:30-17:15 on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website. |
Skipper Ben Ainslie says there is a "long way to go" after Ineos Team UK made a poor start to the final of the Challenger Series in New Zealand.
Italy's Luna Rossa opened up a 2-0 lead on the first day of the best-of-13 final at Auckland's Waitemata Harbour.
The winners of the Prada Cup will then challenge for the 36th America's Cup.
"It was a frustrating day but there is a long way to go in this series," said Ainslie. "We'll continue working to get the best performance out of the boat."
The first race was effectively settled over the starting line as Ineos conceded a 600m advantage that the Italians never looked like giving up.
Ineos also collected penalties for entering the start box too early and then for crossing the boundary, before Luna Rossa coasted to victory by one minute and 52 seconds.
Although both teams made a solid start to the second race, the Italians opened up a small advantage through the first gate and maintained their slender lead to cross the line 26 seconds clear.
"The forecast [Sunday] is for more breeze so hopefully we'll be able to get stuck in and have some close racing," said Ainslie, the four-time Olympic champion.
Ineos are bidding to become the first British team to win the America's Cup although Ainslie, 44, was a winner with the United States team in 2013.
The Briton was on the same team as Australia's Jimmy Spithill, who is now Luna Rossa skipper.
The final of the Challenger Series ends on 22 February with the winners taking on holders Team New Zealand for the America's Cup from 6-21 March.
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