wasted youth

There are claimed to be 17 countries and 20 potential challenges but they will be scrutinised by management group headed by Austrian Olympic gold medallist Roman Hagara. Further selection trials are planned in San Francisco in February, and a final four will go through to the September event.Britain had been very hopeful of competing but two of the three possible teams fell by the wayside early. The Ben Ainslie Racing group itself, with the help of the Royal Yachting Association, then set about the task of recruiting the crew and raising the finance.

The entry fee is $35,000 and it would take about $150,000 to race the boat, an AC45 wing-powered catamaran, and support the crew. In the end the main problem was with the crew, mainly Olympic hopefuls, who could make their diaries fit both events. Olympic medals are more important. Jump in the discussion thread…