THE Hampshire headquarters of Olympic gold medallist Sir Ben Ainslie’s bid to win the America’s Cup for Britain will be solar powered, it was announced today.

Sir Ben, from Lymington, founded Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) to build a British challenge for the 35th America’s Cup in 2017 and bring the oldest international sporting trophy back to Britain for the first time since the contest began in 1851 with a race around the Isle of Wight.

A partnership between BAR and renewables investor Low Carbon will see the team’s headquarters, being constructed on the Camber in Portsmouth, powered by high efficiency solar photovoltaic panels installed on the building and boat stacks.

There is an initial target to supply 90 per cent of the team’s net electricity needs from solar, improving to 100 per cent once energy monitoring has been implemented, the scheme’s backers said.

Sir Ben said: “We’re delighted to be on board with Low Carbon, and this new partnership takes us a long way towards our goal of sustainable, clean energy for our new base.”

Low Carbon founder and chief executive Roy Bedlow said that the project would be a “fantastic showcase for how large buildings can be almost entirely sustainable”.

“I’m very excited by this long-term partnership, and with the prospect of making a key contribution to a British success story.

“With Low Carbon and BAR sharing an ethos of sustainability, responsibility and mitigating the effects of climate change, I believe that together we can continue to make a difference for the better, long into the future.”

Sir Ben has been handed a £7.5m grant by the Government to build the base for his America’s Cup team.

As reported by the Daily Echo, the four-time Olympic gold medallist decided to build the centre in Portsmouth, which is expected to create 90 jobs for the city.

It will include sports science and fitness facilities, an apprenticeship training scheme and a visitor centre showcasing the sport.

Sir Ben wed his TV presenter fiancee Georgie Thompson over the Christmas period.