‘Back to the drawing board’ for Sir Ben Ainslie as Ineos Team UK’s America’s Cup dream is shattered by Italians Luna Rossa

Italian boat Luna Rossa won both of today’s races to complete a 7-1 triumph over Portsmouth-based Ineos and clinch the America’s Cup Challenger Series.

Italy will now compete in a best-of-13 contest against holders Team New Zealand for the 36th America’s Cup, starting on March 6.

‘I’ve got to say well done Luna Rossa and well done Italy,’ Ainslie said. ‘I know it’s a big deal in Italy getting into the America’s Cup final.

‘We’re obviously disappointed we didn’t get through and we have to go away, go back to the drawing board and see what we can do.’

Luna Rossa had held a 4-0 lead over Britannia when the Challenger Series was placed on hold last week after Auckland went into a 72-hour coronavirus lockdown.

When it resumed on Saturday, Luna Rossa won the opening race to establish a 5-0 lead and although Ineos won the day’s second race, the Italians claimed victory in both of today’s races.

It is a huge turnaround in form as the British team had won all three races against Luna Rossa in the Prada Cup qualifying round robin event a few weeks earlier.

Ainslie’s dream is to become the first ever British winner of a competition first held off the Isle of Wight 170 years ago.

Luna Rossa - owned by Patrizio Bertelli, CEO of the fashion brand Prada - are also aiming to become the first Italian winners of the America’s Cup. Formed in the 1990s, it reached the final at the first attempt in 2000 - losing to Team New Zealand.

Ainslie’s Ineos Team UK - owned by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of Britain’s wealthiest men - were aiming to be the first British team since 1964 to reach the America’s Cup final.

This was Ainslie’s second attempt to win the America’s Cup for Britain, after the team was formed in 2014.