The British Are Coming To Take the America’s Cup

After our last-minute news story on Friday, here’s the full wrap of last week’s Louis Vuitton Cup final and Jimmy Spithill’s retirement from Cup racing.

It’s all on as the British are coming to an America’s Cup Match Final for the first time since 1964, when Sovereign got clocked by Constellation, representing the New York Yacht Club, 4-0 and wasn’t even that close. This time, though, INEOS Britannia genuinely surprised everyone with a noticeable increase in speed and performance both on and off the water.

“I’m just so proud of the team, and we know that the America’s Cup is a tough old game,” said INEOS CEO and skipper Sir Ben Ainslie. “It’s a huge move for the team. We didn’t start off that well. We suffered a bit of criticism, but it’s a development game and we’re really going to need it going up against the Kiwis. But what an opportunity, and we’re up for the fight. This is what we came here for.”

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli wasn’t served well by the loss of two points due to mechanical breakdowns, first with battens and then with fairings after a massive nosedive. But those malfunctions were not the primary factors in Luna Rossa’s failure to advance to the America’s Cup Match. The root causes of dropping the LVC 4-7 are much more complicated than just two races. The Brits sailed away in the last three races by comfortable margins as the “flying barge” found its sweet spot and dispatched the “silver bullet.”

“I just want to say well done to INEOS Britannia, to Ben Ainslie and his team; just an awesome effort, ” Jimmy Spithill said. “They started that team I think a decade ago, and to bounce back and win having got so close last time when we knocked them out, and then today, they were the better team. I thought we had a great boat, and it’s difficult to really put into words, but all I can do is just thank all of my teammates and clearly congratulate the team for doing such an awesome job. I can’t think of a time when they’ve got a day off since we’ve been here in Barcelona.”

“Look, we had a fantastic boat; really, we had an awesome package. It was really, really close between the two teams out there, but at the end of the day the British did a better job and they deserve to go to the match,” Spithill said.

in a post-race announcement, it was arrivederci to the legendary Jimmy Spithill, who said an emotional farewell to the America’s Cup, leaving many of his fervent fans and loved ones in tears.

“I really think I am at the end of the line now. I think this is it for me,” Spithill stated. “I think you have to be realistic; I wasn’t good enough to get it done here and I think it’s time the gloves are hung up.”

“This is definitely my last one as an athlete, and it’s been one hell of a ride,” continued Spithill. “I’ve skippered my first team at 19 in 1999, and I’ve driven a boat every Cup up until now. If you told me this is where the sport would be, back then when I started, I mean I probably would have driven you to the mental hospital myself. It has been an absolute one hell of a ride.”

Spithill is a GOAT, and for many, the face of the event in the same manner as Dennis Conner and Russell Coutts. He sprang onto the America’s Cup scene in 1999 on Young Australia for the legendary Syd Fisher in Auckland, New Zealand. He quickly became a leading skipper with the One World team in 2003 and Luna Rossa in 2007 as they squashed BMW Oracle, and was subsequently hired by them to win the Cup in Valencia, Spain, on the DoG trimaran with its game-changing hard-wing sail.

In 2013 Spithill led Oracle to a miraculous comeback in the America’s Cup in San Francisco with his press-conference bravado and nerves of steel, plus a fast boat recovering from an 8-1 deficit to win 9-8.

“I have to be honest with myself; I mean if I look at all of the teams, especially the Italian team with this next generation of guys and girls coming through, they are so far ahead of me and my generation when we were there. I mean, it’s awesome,” Spithill concluded. “So now I think it is the time for them to pick up the ball and run with it, and I can’t wait to see them get out there and hopefully finish the job.”

So it’s going to be an epic America’s Cup with the first Race Day on Saturday, October 12. Also, just a shout-out to Barcelona Turisme (Tourism). As a Host Event Partner they have opened their arms in a very welcoming way, showing that Barcelona is the place to be for the America’s Cup, now and possibly again!

If you recall the once-popular New Order song World in Motion, sung for England’s football teams, the tune can now certainly be sung with emotion for Great Britain’s America’s Cup team as they sing with joy and say arrivederci to the Italians:

“We’re playing for England (En-ger-land)
and we’re playing this song.
Now is the time, let everyone see
You never give up, that’s how it should be
Don’t get caught, make your own play
Express yourself, don’t give it away
We’re singing for England (En-ger-land)
It is now! Well, it is now!
Arrivederci, it’s one on one” with the Kiwis!

In Catalan: “Toquem a Anglaterra (En-ger-land) i estem tocant aquesta cançó. Ara és el moment, que tothom ho vegi No et rendeixes mai, així hauria de ser No et deixis atrapar, fes el teu propi joc Expressa’t, no ho regalis Estem cantant per Anglaterra (En-ger-land) ¡És ara! ¡Bé, ara és! ¡Arrivederci, és un contra un” amb els Kiwis!