Latest news with #IneosBritannia
RNZ News
15-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Royal NZ Yacht Squadron confident Kiwi fans will engage with offshore America's Cup
Members watch the America`s Cup match race between Team New Zealand and Oracle at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, in 2017. Photo: photosport The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron insists it wanted the America's Cup to be hosted at home and is confident New Zealand fans will be engaged with the event despite it being offshore. Holders Team New Zealand announced Naples will host the 2027 America's Cup , with the regatta to be staged in Italy for the first time. After defending the Auld Mug in the waters off Barcelona last October, the RNZYS said it pushed to return the event to Auckland. However, it was announced in March they would no longer seek to host the next edition due to a lack of economic support from the government. Team New Zealand and Ineos Britannia during the 37th America's Cup Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America's Cup Squadron Commodore David Blakey told Morning Report Naples became the best option once Auckland was off the cards. "We actually worked very hard to try and make the event happen in Auckland. As we know, we weren't able to pull that together so then we had to look offshore," Blakey said. "Naples was one of the candidates to put their hand up and were very keen right from the outset to get involved if they could. "They put in a strong bid and they've been successful. "They have the money. They have the strong desire and the passion to have it and they have a large number of supporters there who are ready to host us." Photo: Emirates Team New Zealand Blakey was questioned over whether the average New Zealander was become less engaged in the America's Cup because it was no longer being sailed on their doorstep. He said their first choice was to sail the event in Auckland but said there was positives to taking the racing overseas. "The silver lining here is that it actually provides a fantastic platform for New Zealand to showcase itself in one of the largest markets and I'd love to see the country take advantage again," he said. "We had hundreds of members come with us to Barcelona and there were thousands of Kiwi supporters lining the waterfront in Barcelona. "The team does a fantastic job sailing, they showcase and present on behalf of New Zealand really well." Italians are expected to support the event, with the country's long-standing syndicate Luna Rossa again forecast to be among the strongest challengers. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli crew celebrate during America's Cup challenger series off Barcelona, 2024. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Blakey won't rule out Auckland hosting the next regatta if Team NZ are successful in Naples, saying "no doubt we'll have the opportunity to explore that again and maybe next time the timing's right for New Zealand to have it back here". Meanwhile, he said the "stunning" race headquarters on the Gulf of Naples waterfront would need to undergo infrastructure development, with work to begin soon. "They've got a little bit of work to do around their waterfront, to do some redevelopment, to set up a facility where the teams can base themselves," he said. "They'll have that ready to go by early next year. "The teams can start practising by the next European summer, ready for the event in the summer of 2027." He said they were keen to get the announcement underway to they can get on with building infrastructure. Naples waterfront Photo: photosport "The bay actually curves around so spectators will be able to line up along the waterfront, similar to what we were able to do in Barcelona, and watch from the land," he said. "There'll be a number of vantage points so it should be a spectacular setting for such an event." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Mail
01-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Instant karma as 'thief' is tackled by tourist who puts him in a chokehold after he 'tried to steal his camera' in Barcelona
A suspected brazen thief has faced instant karma after being tackled and put in a chokehold by a tourist whose camera he believed he had tried to steal. Footage from the streets of Barcelona showed the suspected thief wailing and moaning as the tourist grappled him, holding him across his neck. The suspected thief could be seen thrashing against the tourist and trying to call attention to passers-by, who were unmoved by his plight. After some time, a pair of police officers appeared and took custody of the thief, dragging him away and sitting him up by a tree. Several witnesses were heard applauding the swift action of both the cops and the tourist. Barcelona is notorious for hosting thieves who prey on vulnerable tourists. Last year, Sir Ben Ainslie revealed he was robbed of his £16k Rolex at knifepoint by a Barcelona watch gang. The British yachtsman was confronted by an armed mob and robbed of his luxury watch, Spanish police said. The five-time Olympic medal winning sailor was in the city to lead the UK's Ineos Britannia team in the America's Cup. Sir Ben told The Telegraph: 'Barcelona is a fantastic host city for the America's Cup, and the team has felt welcomed and is enjoying our stay in this vibrant city.' 'Like in all big cities, you can be affected by opportunistic crime, and my situation is no different. This matter is now with the local authorities.' Retiring from Sail GP to concentrate on America's Cup, he arrived in Barcelona looking to add the crown to his long-list of successes as a yachtsman. Sir Ben told Spanish newspaper El País before the competition started, that he hoped Britain would have won the America's Cup by now, adding 'we'll get there'. Barcelona footballer Robert Lewandowski experienced a similar theft two years prior outside the Ciutat Esportiva training ground. The watch, worth a reported £59,000, was snatched as the 36-year-old greeted fans ahead of an evening training session with Barca. The thief is said to have opened Lewandowski's car door and taken the watch as the Polish international signed autographs, before attempting to run after the thief himself. Police quickly arrested a suspect and Lewandowski got his watch back.
The Guardian
09-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Ineos Britannia pull out of America's Cup and aim barb at Ben Ainslie's team
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos Britannia team has withdrawn its intention to compete in the 38th America's Cup. The team, which lost 7-2 to Emirates Team New Zealand in the 37th edition last year, has announced it has 'reluctantly withdrawn its challenge', claiming a six-month delay in reaching an agreement with Sir Ben Ainslie's Athena Racing Ltd had 'undermined its ability to prepare' for the event. In a statement released on Wednesday, Ineos Britannia said: 'Ineos Britannia announces that it has withdrawn its intention to challenge for the next America's Cup. 'The decision has been taken after a protracted negotiation with Athena Racing Ltd following the conclusion of the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona. 'The agreement that had been reached with Athena would have allowed both parties to compete in the next cup, but it depended on a rapid resolution. Ineos Britannia had agreed the substantive terms very quickly, but Athena failed to bring the agreement to a timely conclusion. 'Ineos Britannia is of the opinion that this six-month delay has undermined its ability to prepare for the next cup and so has reluctantly withdrawn its challenge.' The team, which was also the British challenger for the 2021 America's Cup in Auckland, was helmed by four-time Olympic champion Ainslie, founder and chief executive of the Athena Sports Group, in Barcelona. Ineos announced in January that it had failed to reach agreement with Ainslie and would go it alone, but has now admitted defeat. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion Chairman and Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe said: 'This was a very difficult decision to have taken following our challenge at the last two America's Cups. 'We were the most successful British challenger in modern times with an exceptionally quick boat and we felt with the very effective input from the Mercedes F1 engineers that we had a real chance to win at the next cup. Unfortunately, the opportunity has slipped away.' Athena Racing has been approached for comment.
The Independent
09-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Ineos withdraws from America's Cup challenge after split with Ben Ainslie
Sir Jim Ratcliffe 's Ineos Britannia has withdrawn its intention to compete in the 38th America's Cup. The team, which lost 7-2 to Emirates Team New Zealand in the 37th edition last year, has announced it has "reluctantly withdrawn its challenge", claiming a six-month delay in reaching an agreement with Sir Ben Ainslie 's Athena Racing Ltd had "undermined its ability to prepare" for the event. In a statement released on Wednesday evening, Ineos Britannia said: "Ineos Britannia announces that it has withdrawn its intention to challenge for the next America's Cup. "The decision has been taken after a protracted negotiation with Athena Racing Ltd following the conclusion of 37th America's Cup in Barcelona. "The agreement that had been reached with Athena would have allowed both parties to compete in the next cup, but it depended on a rapid resolution. Ineos Britannia had agreed the substantive terms very quickly, but Athena failed to bring the agreement to a timely conclusion. "Ineos Britannia is of the opinion that this six-month delay has undermined its ability to prepare for the next cup and so has reluctantly withdrawn its challenge." The team, which was also the British challenger for the 2021 America's Cup in Auckland, was helmed by four-time Olympic champion Ainslie, founder and chief executive of the Athena Sports Group, in Barcelona. Ineos announced in January that it had failed to reach agreement with Ainslie and would go it alone, but has now admitted defeat. Chairman and Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe said: "This was a very difficult decision to have taken following our challenge at the last two America's Cups. "We were the most successful British challenger in modern times with an exceptionally quick boat and we felt with the very effective input from the Mercedes F1 engineers that we had a real chance to win at the next cup. Unfortunately, the opportunity has slipped away."
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Ineos' Britannia withdraws from next America's Cup
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos Britannia sailing team has withdrawn its intention to challenge for the next America's blamed "a protracted negotiation" with Athena Racing - the team of Ineos' former skipper Sir Ben four-time Olympic champion helped the British boat reach a first final since 1964 in Barcelona last year, but then split with Ineos in 48, had a strained relationship with Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe regarding plans for the 38th America's Cup, which prompted them to part had planned to compete under the Britannia name, but Ainslie's Athena Racing team said they were "astounded" by the move, and it raised "significant legal and practical obstacles".In February, Athena Racing claimed it was the official Challenger of Record for the 38th America's Cup. In a statement, Ineos said "The agreement that had been reached with Athena would have allowed both parties to compete in the next Cup, but it depended on a rapid resolution."Ineos Britannia had agreed the substantive terms very quickly, but Athena failed to bring the agreement to a timely conclusion."Ineos Britannia is of the opinion that this six-month delay has undermined its ability to prepare for the next Cup and so has reluctantly withdrawn its challenge."Ratcliffe, chairman of Ineos, added: "This was a very difficult decision to have taken following our challenge at the last two America's Cups."We were the most successful British challenger in modern times with an exceptionally quick boat and we felt, with the very effective input from the Mercedes F1 engineers, that we had a real chance to win at the next Cup. Unfortunately, the opportunity has slipped away."Athena Racing has been approached for won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including gold at four consecutive Games from 2000 to his triumph at London 2012, his goal has been to claim the America's Cup for Great Britain, but all his attempts in a British boat, including those backed by Ineos, have ended in disappointment.
