America’s Cup 2021: Sir Ben Ainslie beats Challenger of Record for Prada Cup schedule position

Sir Ben Ainslie believes that the failed move to change the Prada Cup final last week was justified as New Zealand audiences deserve the best possible event.

The Ineos Team UK skipper was disappointed with the Challenger of Record’s hardline stance, who insisted the original schedule should be kept, amid attempts by America’s Cup Events (ACE) to delay the restart until Auckland returned to Covid. -19 alert level 1.

It became a public dispute, which took some of the sparkle out of what has been a wonderful event this summer.

“I’ve been disappointed in what’s been going on,” Ainslie said. “It doesn’t feel very good to know what has happened before. To be honest, I think it’s a lot of nonsense.

“We had an amazing event here and there was a move from ACE to try and delay the race to a point where we were level 1 so that spectators could be on shore and watch the race.

“Given what New Zealand has done to accommodate and welcome us here, I frankly thought it was the least we could do as competitors.

“It was a shame that, for some reason, we couldn’t do that and everything that happened with it … the whole tit for tat has really lasted long enough.”

Ainslie wore a defiant figure Saturday night, after finally counting on a win in this series. The Brits still face an intimidating 5-1 deficit, but they are not giving up.

“I hope so,” Ainslie said, when asked if it could be the start of something. “If we had lost that second race we would be in dire straits, one away from elimination, so it’s a good boost for the team.”

Ainslie is no stranger to tough spots, be it the America’s Cup or the Olympics, and says the recipe for revival doesn’t change.

“All those experiences, when you’re on the defensive, you just know, for one thing, you can’t give up,” Ainslie said. “You just need to try to keep your processes running and stick with what you have developed as a team and an organization.

“We’ve already been through tough times at this particular event and we didn’t give up and we keep working to try to get better and better, and as long as you’re in the game, you have a chance.”

The opening matches have been the deciding factor in this series thus far, with limited opportunities for leadership changes in the constant wind. It has been unpredictable for Ineos Team UK, but Ainslie said they will continue their aggressive approach on Sunday, with mid-range breezes.

“Pre-exits are all about risk and reward,” Ainslie said. “If you feel like you must because you need an advantage, then you are [also] prepared to risk losing the exit.

“We have been pushing the starts hard because we feel like we have to make something happen. An even start is not going to be enough right now.”