The Princess of Wales congratulated Sir Ben Ainslie and his team on becoming the first Britons to qualify for the America’s Cup final in 60 years.
The sailors, backed by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, beat the Italian crew of Luna Rossa to win the Challenger Series on Friday.
Now, for the first time since 1964, a yacht flying the British flag will compete in the final of this prestigious competition.
Princess Catherine posted on X: ‘Congratulations to the entire INEOS Britannia team for qualifying for the 37th America’s Cup!
‘A fantastic display of teamwork, skill and determination. Good luck for the final challenge!’
She signed the sweet message of support with her initial ‘c’.
Catherine Princess of Wales during day fourteen of the 2024 Wimbledon Championships
Ben Ainslie reached the brink of history by winning the Louis Vuitton Cup
Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia will compete against champions Emirates Team New Zealand in a best-of-17 showdown starting next Saturday.
A victory would be historic as no British team has won the Auld Mug in its 173 years of existence.
Reacting to Friday’s win, four-time Olympic gold medalist Ainslie said: “It’s a great day for our team and I’m so proud of everyone, not just in the water but on the shore.” It’s a huge moment.
‘We founded this team 10 years ago, when Great Britain wasn’t even in the America’s Cup. Some amazing people came and supported the team financially and then of course Jim and his INEOS team came and helped us. This is a huge thank you.
“There’s a lot of pressure, a lot of investment and you want to take advantage of it, so I’m delighted.”
Their place in the final was secured with a 7-4 victory over Luna Rossa having shared the first eight races over the past fortnight.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS will compete in the Copa América final
The last British captain to make it this far, Peter Scott, was a naval hero who spent considerable time trying to prove that the Loch Ness monster was real.
It fell short on both counts. The hunt for Ainslie continues.
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