Sir Ben Ainslie has vowed to "put right" Great Britain's agonising 166-year wait for America's Cup glory and add to the country's list of international sporting honours.

The most successful sailor in Olympic history is team principal and skipper of newcomers Land Rover BAR, based in Hampshire, and will be bidding to bring the cup home in Bermuda this June.

The America's Cup was first staged in 1851 off the Isle of Wight but has never returned to British waters - the longest drought in international sport.

During that time England have won the football World Cup in 1966, the rugby union World Cup in 2003 and claimed 32 Ashes series victories.

Bradley Wiggins' triumph in the 2012 Tour de France - a first for a British cyclist - halted a lean spell of 99 years, but it also brought into focus the anguish suffered by the country's sailors for over a century.

Four-time Olympic champion Ainslie is no stranger to success yet his next quest, to win the 35th America's Cup, is about much more than personal achievement.

"The fact that Britain has never won the cup is a huge driver for us," said Lymington resident Ainslie.

"What we're trying to showcase through the team is this best of British in design, technology and sailing.

"The history of the cup, it's the last big sporting trophy that Britain has never won. We have a very proud sporting heritage and maritime heritage so it means a lot to us. That is a huge motivation to put that right."

Land Rover BAR - launched in 2012 - is the brain child of Ainslie and has been backed by sponsorship and investment to the tune of £90million, with a permanent base in Portsmouth.

The 40-year-old won the last America's Cup in 2013 as a tactician aboard Oracle Team USA, who remarkably turned an 8-1 deficit into a 9-8 win in San Francisco.

Ainslie, a solo sailor for much of his career, enjoys the change in tack to a team dynamic and admits he is not afraid to show his nasty side.

He said: "The key is to have good people on the team, to delegate and give them responsibility in their roles.

"As a leader that's fine, but it's when things aren't going well that you have to stand up and say something and try and sort issues out - if there are issues.

"There's been a couple of times where I've had to raise my voice I guess, but the less you do that the better. Normally a quiet boat means a happy boat and a fast boat."

The only team to win the America's Cup at the first attempt since its inception was Alinghi, the Swiss challengers in 2003, but Ainslie insists he is in it for the long haul.

"It is very hard to win the America's Cup at the first attempt - it's only happened once before for a challenger to do that," he added.

"Our goal is to win this cup, but it's also to set up a structure that we knew would continue on.

"It may take a couple of attempts to bring it back to British waters."

Land Rover BAR are the first British team to challenge for the Auld Mug in 16 years but there is still a qualifying section to navigate.

The Louis Vuitton Cup qualifiers - contested by the five challengers and the defender, Oracle Team USA - takes place in Bermuda between May 26 and June 3.

The top four challengers will then advance to the semi-finals before a best-of-nine final - the winner of which will contest the America's Cup between June 17 and 27.

"This cup is going to be really close looking at the way the teams are stacking up now as we come into the final phases," added Ainslie.

"To win it, for all of us, I'm pretty certain would be the biggest achievement of our careers because of setting the team up and the history of the cup."