WATCH: Portsmouth based America's Cup team test super fast boat on the Solent

The four-time Olympic gold medallist and INEOS TEAM UK, who are based in Portsmouth, will be competing in the 2021 race in New Zealand. 

They have been testing the T5,a small scale foiling mono-hull, on the Solent since June. 

Sir Ben said: '˜Sailing T5 is an important part of the learning process with this new concept.' 

The team's full-size race boat, which will be used in the 2021 sailing competition, cannot be launched until after March 31, 2019 under America's Cup rules. 

Grant Simmer, INEOS TEAM UK CEO was keen to stress this is only the start of a long process of design and development, in the build up to the America's Cup in 2021.

He explained: '˜We know the other teams won't be that far behind us and we must keep pushing harder than ever.

'˜This is a good start and a real credit to the whole team.' 

The T5 test boat is scaled at 40 per cent of the AC75 boat which will be used in the America's Cup in three years time. 

INEO TEAM UK have released images and video of the T5 being tested by Sir Ben and Giles Scott on the day that the America's Cup race course and event dates are announced. 

The details for the 2021 race are being revealed in Cowes, Isle of Wight, where the Cup began back in 1851. 

Facts and figures about the T5: 

- T5 is a 28-foot foiling monohull, it began life as a Quant 28 but has been significantly modified to match the fundamental parameters of the AC75, the class of boat that will contest the 36th America's Cup.

- The modifications involved installing two foil arms, T-foils and control systems, changing the rudder, deck layout, hardware and rig.

- The boat is scaled at 40% of the AC75.

- T5 will allow the team to learn to sail a completely new concept of sailboat and verify computer modelling and simulations for the design of their first race boat.