HAMPSHIRE Olympic sailing star Ben Ainslie has applauded the performance of his British America’s Cup challengers after they made it through to the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy.
Team Origin, skippered by the triple gold medallist, were knocked out of the contest in the penultimate round by eventual winners, Italy’s Azzura, before being beaten by Russian team Synergy in the third place play-offs.
It was the first major event Team Origin has sailed in as a full crew since forming in January 2007.
Ainslie, pictured, from Lymington, said: “We have come such a long way through this event.
“We were disappointed not to be in the finals but we still performed really well as a team.
“For us it is all about building for the future so in that respect this event has been fantastic for us.
“We are looking forward to Auckland in March next year for sure.”
Team principal Sir Keith Mills added: “We should be proud of our achievements during this event. Winning the America’s Cup involves taking a million tiny steps and improving with each step and that is what we need to do as we move forward to a really full sailing programme in 2010.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here