The task of raising millions for his next America’s Cup campaign has been so preoccupying for Sir Ben Ainslie, his results in Act 4 of the Extreme Sailing Series starting today in St Petersburg may take a pounding, he has warned.
Ainslie’s schedule has been frenetic in recent weeks with an initial launch of his bid for the America’s Cup and his sponsorship commitments aimed at raising the massive £80 million needed for the campaign to be competitive.
As a result, preparations for the latest Extreme 40 event, which is being held in Russia for the first time, have been limited and the podium places that many assumed would be his for the taking when he signed up for the series, have remained elusive.
In his fourth event, he has yet to claim a regatta win and at St Petersburg, where light winds and strong currents in the Neva river will make things difficult, performances across all the teams are set to be a game of chance.
“We are not as focussed as some of the other teams and that is clear in our results,” said Ainslie campaigning his Extreme 40 JP Morgan BAR
“But the Extremes are not our priority this year – our aim is to get the AC team together and raise the money.
“Of course it bothers us that we are not winning. We are competitive and want to be winning but we have to be looking at the bigger picture. We need to be out here competing and we will be a better team for having competed on the Extreme circuit as we move forward to the America’s Cup.
“As a team we want to be performing right at the top so none of us are happy that we have not been able to do that in this series but we would rather be here improving than not be here at all.”
Ainslie’s team is missing Olympic gold medallist Pippa Wilson for the St Petersburg event due to her Olympic Nacra 17 campaign commitments. In her place is 21 year-old student Phil Sparks, a former ISAF Youth World Champion, neurosciences student and highly rated young prospect.
“Ideally we would have the same team all the way through but our idea of competing on the circuit was also to develop potential among different sailors and try different people out so we are delighted to have Phil with us. He will bring some brains to the team.”
Racing in Act 4 of the Extreme Sailing Series starts in St Petersburg today and continues through until Sunday with 12 teams, including reigning champions The Wave, Muscat, the Omani boat skippered by Britain's Leigh McMillan among the favourites to win.
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