36th American Cup: Sir Ben Ainslie and Max Sirena ready for ‘extraordinary fight’ in PRADA Cup final | Address news

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Sir Ben Ainslie and Max Sirena share their thoughts ahead of the winning PRADA Cup Final, which starts live on Sky Sports on Saturday

Sir Ben Ainslie, team principal and captain of INEOS TEAM UK, believes the PRADA Cup final will be a “great fight” when INEOS TEAM UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli take to the water on Saturday.

The PRADA Cup is the winning series between the last two opponents standing in New Zealand. The winner will go on and face New Zealand Emirates Team in the 36th American Cup match in March, while the loser of the Auld Mug ends.

The American Cup was first contested in 1851, is the oldest trophy in international sport and precedes the new Olympic Games by 45 years.

For a country with a rich maritime history, the Auld Mug is part of the puzzle that was lost for Britain because a British team never won it.

In Ainslie’s words, 170 years have passed and now INEOS TEAM UK has reached what it hopes will be the first of two business endings, during this year’s American Cup competition.

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Learn more about INEOS TEAM UK’s bid to become the first British team to win the American Cup

The PRADA Cup final kicks off with the two opening days of Saturday and Sunday racing, live Sky Sports from 3am and again at 8am. The first-to-seven series wins.

The boats of both teams are full of competitors who are at the top of their game and know each other very well. For example, Giles Scott, an INEOS TEAM UK supporter, was part of Luna Rossa’s team back in 2013 while Jimmy Spithill, who is now co-helmsman of Luna Rossa, won the American Cup alongside Ainslie when they were together at Oracle Team USA.

“It’s going to be a great fight. That’s why you compete because you want to be against the best; you want to challenge yourself and you want to be in those situations. , “said Ainslie, at the pre – race press conference.

“I fully expect to have some fantastic races over the next week or so.

“We saw that with the last race between the two teams, with nine lead changes and the boats well even most of the time, that’s what you want. It’s great for the American Cup and for sailing . “

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INEOS TEAM UK Robins won the PRADA Round Cup after an outstanding competition against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (Credit Image- COR 36 | Studio Borlenghi)

After getting that impressive win that Ainslie mentions at the end of the PRADA Robins Round Cup, INEOS TEAM UK moved straight into this final while Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had to return to the water and take on the New York Yacht Club American Magic in the semifinals.

Afterwards, Spithill made it clear that he believes their way to this winning final is ‘the best’. Ainslie, on the other hand, told Sky Sports it was always the British team’s plan to try to get through.

“It simply came to our notice then [a more optimal route] we were pushing hard to try that straight path into the final. We have been making a lot of changes to the boat which has been very optimistic, “he said.

Races one and two will take place on Saturday, live on Sky Sports from 3am (Image Credit – COR 36 | Studio Borlenghi)

“Once again, our team has kept to the task of trying to get every ounce of performance out of the boat, as we know we have to in this game,” he said. team principal and captain, at the pre-race press conference on Thursday.

“So it’s been a difficult time, especially for the shore crew, turning the boat and then for the last 10 days or so we’ve been back on the water and try to increase the intensity, to make sure we match. suitable for competition. “

There are about 100 people in the shore team Ainslie mentions. While the work to modify and increase the BRITANNIA raceboat is being kept underfoot, some elements of supply have been shared. Sky Sports and they really clarify the size and extent of this competition.

BRITANNIA is a 75-foot foiling monohull, weighs about six to seven tons and always needs attention and improvement.

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Andrew ‘Hendo’ Henderson, manager of the INEOS TEAM UK shore team, will talk to Georgie Ainslie about the process for launching BRITANNIA and the attention the raceboat needs. (Video courtesy of INEOS TEAM UK)

“It’s almost 24 hours a day,” said INEOS TEAM UK shore team manager Andrew ‘Hendo’ Henderson.

“We have one or two maneuvers with people starting very early in the morning to get the boat ready to go. Then, when the BRITANNIA arrives after a long day of sailing, there is another squad to pick up. and she runs with him until the wee hours of the morning until she is ready again.

The INEOS TEAM UK BRITANNIA race boat is a marvelous engineer in engineering (Image Credit: COR 36 | Studio Borlenghi)

“Normal [training] a day we could launch at 10am but boys here from 6am do all the checks; we need to make sure the boat is perfect before it goes out so that time is not spent on the water.

“The process of launching BRITANNIA on its own takes about two hours. It will be lifted by a crane, lifted on and then a whole series of sweeps will be done before signing up. . “

Of course, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s inshore team has been working hard as well, looking for better INEOS TEAM UK developments and returning to the water in an even stronger fashion than their competitors.

“Since we last raced them, we have new publications, a new modified mast, a new set of sails and a lot of development of the ship’s software and systems,” said Max Sirena, Luna Rossa team captain Prada Pirelli.

“Then we have made great progress in terms of the communication on board. We made a lot of mistakes when we raced against them. [last time] and we want to try to make one less mistake than them, this time. “

Sirena continued to focus on her own team when asked if INEOS TEAM UK was scared ahead of this definitive series, while Ainslie made it clear that this is not the view you will take. -enter your race.

“We’re not afraid of anything, you shouldn’t do it if you’re going into a race. You respect your enemies, but you’re not afraid,” he said. Ainslie.

“We think they are [Luna Rossa] a very good team. They have a good boat over a number of situations; great sailing team and we have already had good racing.

“We just expect more of that to come; that’s what we want competitive sailors. You want to race at the highest level against the best and here it is. So, yes we are excited.

“Of course, we know they are going to be tough to beat, but we have prepared the crew and the ship for this fight,” Sirena said of the British prosecution.

“We are the real enemy, not INEOS or Ben, we have to sail well against ourselves first and then we will see the result.

“Both teams are going to be very ready and aggressive in the prelims, Ben, Jimmy and Francesco, are very strong in the prelims. It’s going to be fun to watch from the outside, maybe a little less from the inside, but maybe a little less from the inside, but it’s going to be inspiring. “

Watch every minute of the American Cup challenge, live on Sky Sports. Cover will continue with the PRADA Cup final at 3am on February 13, live on Sky Sports Mix, again at 8am.