- Land Rover BAR retain third place in America's Cup World Series rankings
- Celebrities came out in force to support Britain's America's Cup bid
- Stars join Land Rover BAR for ultimate sailing experience in New York
Whitley, 9 May 2016: The sun came out and the winds finally picked up on the Hudson River, New York, to round off a star studded weekend of America's Cup racing for Land Rover BAR.
Despite difficult sailing conditions across the weekend, Land Rover BAR managed to keep their rivals at bay to retain third position in the overall Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series rankings. The team now head to Chicago on 11th and 12th June to race on Lake Michigan in the hope to chase down second place Oracle Team USA and leaders Emirates Team New Zealand.
After a challenging final day, Ben Ainslie, Land Rover BAR Skipper and Team Principal, said: "It's hard to describe racing in those conditions. It was fantastic to see so many people out supporting the event. It's such a great city. The last two races, the guy in last place at the penultimate mark, won the race on the penultimate leg.
"So as competitors that's tough to deal with, but that's the game. We knew it would be like that going into this event, and you roll the dice and see which side of it you come out. Unfortunately it didn't go well for us today, so the guys are frustrated. I think we sailed the boat really well, and did everything just about as good as we could, but it just didn't fall our way."
The British team wasn't short of celebrity support as the city played host to the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series. Big names from the world of film, television and business joined Land Rover BAR for a weekend of racing under the iconic Manhattan skyline.
Hollywood actors, Liam Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo, Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen and business tycoon, Richard Branson all joined Sir Ben Ainslie and his team on board Land Rover BAR's flying catamaran.
After the obligatory safety briefing, the A‑list guests were kitted out in drysuits, life jackets and helmets before joining the crew on board the AC45's as the official 'sixth man'. Sitting on the stern of the boat behind the Skipper on a strip of webbing no more than a metre wide, the celebrity sixth men got to experience life in the fast lane on the water.
Commenting on his experience on the boat, Alfie Allen, who plays Theon Greyjoy in the award winning HBO series, said: "It's still sinking in really that I'm here with this amazing team ‑ Ben's a legend! I'll be honest I'm not an avid sailor but being 'sixth man' is a once in a lifetime opportunity. It's incredible watching how the team and the boat operate on the water, we got foiling ‑ it was amazing."
Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series overall results after five events:
Emirates Team New Zealand ‑ 244
Oracle Team USA ‑ 236
Land Rover BAR ‑ 227
Softbank Team Japan ‑ 203
Artemis Racing ‑ 201
Groupama Team France ‑ 194
ENDS
For further information log onto www.uk.media.landrover.com or contact:
Kim Palmer
Public Relations Manager, Land Rover UK
T: 02476 564 129
M: 07795 666 169
E:kpalmer@landrover.com
Tracey Tompsett
Senior Press Officer, Land Rover UK
T: 02476 565 210
M: 07469 032 064
E:ttompset@landrover.com
Rebecca Wright
Press Officer, Land Rover UK
T: 02476 566 334
M: 07469 025162
E:rwright4@landrover.com
Editors Note:
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About Land Rover BAR
Sarah Alexander, Land Rover BAR Press Officer
Sarah.alexander@landroverbar.com
t. +44 7766 391 276 / +44 1489 587 838
Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) was launched on June 10th 2014 in the presence of Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. The team was conceived by four times Olympic gold medalist and 34th America's Cup winner, Sir Ben Ainslie, with the long‑term aim of challenging for Britain and bringing the America's Cup back home to where it all began in 1851. Ben has developed and will lead a British entry capable of winning the prestigious trophy, something Britain has so far never managed to achieve.
Land Rover BAR is a commercial sporting team, with a number of individual private investors alongside corporate partners. The team is made up of some of the best British and international sailors, designers, builders and racing support.
Sports teams represent key role models in society. This privileged position is not taken for granted at Land Rover BAR. The team believe our influence should extend far beyond the race course, and have put sustainability at the heart of operations since launching the team with Exclusive Sustainability Partner 11th Hour Racing in 2014.
The team have built a new headquarters in the centre of Portsmouth, the 74,000 sq ft. building houses all the team's activities, and will welcome the public into a Visitor Centre hosted by the 1851 Trust. The Trust is the team's official charity, and HRH The Duchess of Cambridge is its Royal Patron.
Portsmouth will host a second Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event on 21st‑24th July 2016. Almost a quarter of a million spectators enjoyed the action in Portsmouth in 2015, with 25,000 of them taking to the water ‑ more are expected to come back in 2016 to watch the racing and cheer for the home team.