INEOS Britannia have started two boat training with the new AC40-10 ‘Sienna’ and the older AC40-2 ‘Athena’ in Barcelona.
This follows on Ben Ainslie stepping down as driver of the Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team to concentrate on the upcoming AC37 America’s Cup match in September/October.
Ainslie and his INEOS Britannia team had a tough time in the two recent America’s Cup pre AC40 events, which he admitted was due to a lack of focus, and something had to change.
The change was Giles Scott taking over as main driver for the Great Britain SailGP, and Ainslie focussing on the America’s Cup event.
Interestingly Ainslie is expecting to make changes to the one-design A40 as they get further into the trainig sessions, but thought that sailing T6, the LEQ12 test boat, again would depend on up-coming decisions with regard to their new AC75 – RB3 race boat.
The all-new AC75, presently in build, is expected to launch in late April, and the final preliminary regatta in Barcelona in August will be where the all the teams will race in their new AC75s for the very first time.
With any further modifications to the AC75s very restricted, that first fleet racing will be closely watched.
Xabi Fernandez, one of the INEOS Britannia coaches on the dockside commented:
“Well I guess we did a lot of testing as you know with T6 last year and kind of committed for the big boat, and now in this period we are now two-boat racing trying to upscale everyone on match-racing and techniques and even though we are obviously in the AC40 one-design configuration making sure the boys are sharp and try to do exercises to be ready for their for the racing in the Cup – and basically waiting for the big boat to come.”
Crew on the AC-2: Ben Ainslie, Giles Scott, Bleddyn Mon and Alex Hughes. And on the AC-10: Dylan Fletcher, Ben Cornish, Leigh McMillan and Luke Parkinson.
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