FILE PHOTO: British sailor Ben Ainslie of INEOS Britannia attends an interview ahead the 37th America's Cup Match in Barcelona, Spain October 7, 2024. REUTERS/ Albert Gea/File Photo
BARCELONA (Reuters) - Sailing has a great opportunity to develop as a sport if the America's Cup can involve more frequent events and evolve the boats now being raced, said British skipper Ben Ainslie.
The winner of the "Auld Mug" gets to decide key parameters for the next event, including when and where it takes place and the specifications of the boat in which it is sailed.
Ainslie is hoping that his team are able to win the America's Cup for Britain for the first time by defeating holders New Zealand when they meet in a first-to-seven match.
"The America's Cup has had an amazing history and it has so much potential in the future," Ainslie said in an interview when asked what he would change if he won the coveted trophy.
"Certainly I think we can do a better job in terms of the continuity of the event, as in more events and a closer gap between America's Cups to keep that interest and excitement going," Ainslie added on the dock of his base in Barcelona.
Ainslie said the AC75, the class of boat being used for the event this month which was developed from the one used by the teams in the last Cup in Auckland in 2021, was a "huge success".
"The racing that we're seeing now in the second generation of these boats is just getting tighter and tighter," he told Reuters during an interview on Monday, adding: "I think there's a huge opportunity there to really take the sport forwards".
Ainslie was also encouraged by the introduction of the Women's America's Cup and the continuation of the youth event in smaller AC40s, which he said were positive signs for the future.
"I think that's been brilliant to see ... the female athletes getting out on the water in these boats and showing what they can do. So again, plenty of potential and opportunity here with the America's Cup," the 47-year-old said.
Asked whether there could be many more entries for the next event, in which challengers have to race against each other to decide on who gets to take on the holders, Ainslie said the number would depend on establishing more continuity.
If the America's Cup sticks to the existing class rule and there is more continuity in racing, this would help drive costs lower and increase the commercial exposure, bringing in more partners to both the event and the teams, Ainslie said.
Were this to happen, said Ainslie "then why couldn't we have 10 teams or more in the America's Cup?".
"That would be wonderful to see," he added.
(Reporting by Alexander Smith; Editing by Toby Davis)
