INEOS Britannia team boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently told the BBC that ‘We will be at the next America’s Cup, and I think we will be there with a very quick boat.’
The Manchester United football team co-owner spoke to BBC sports editor Dan Roan of the club’s recent struggles both on and off the pitch.
In the middle of the in-depth interview . . . Roan slipped in some questions regarding Ratcliffe’s other sports activities. And rather surprisingly, given the lack of any previous clarification from either party, Sir Jim commented on his split with Sir Ben Ainslie from their America’s Cup venture . . .
‘All I can say is Ben wanted to do his own thing and that’s fine. He’s going to do his own thing. We will be at the next America’s Cup, and I think we will be there with a very quick boat.’
Since the split in January, Ainslie indicated that the British America’s Cup team would be known as Athena Racing, aligning with the British Women’s and Youth America’s Cup team, the Athena Pathway.
Adding that ‘Athena Racing is the representative of the Challenger of Record for 38th America’s Cup, Royal Yacht Squadron Racing Ltd’. Something that created some confusion on the Royal Yacht Squadron (RYS) website.
The RYS is officially the Challenger of Record, following the acceptance of their Notice of Challenge by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) back in November 2024. At that signing INEOS Britannia was indicated as the RYS representative.
Following the acrimoneous Ratcliff/Ainslie split the RYS eventually amended their website to name Ben Ainslie’s Athena Racing as their challenger representative.
No public comment has been made regards this change by the defending club RNZYS or Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton.
During the BBC interview Ratcliffe down-played Roan’s question regards who was the challenger of record, by suggesting that it would likely be replaced with a governing body . . .
‘The question is really whether there will be a challenger of record because the format of the America’s Cup will change where the likelihood is you’ll finish with a governing body who will replace the challenger of record. I think probably we will not be the challenger of record at the next America’s Cup but then the challenger of record has never won the America’s Cup. It doesn’t worry me too much if we’re not challenger of record.’
No obvious progress came out of the recent AC38 event update meeting in London, but what seems clear from Ratcliffe’s comments is that Britain will have two very determined challengers for the next America’s Cup.
Sir Ben Ainslie’s Athena Racing and Sir Jim Ratcliffe backed INEOS Britannia.
