Ben Ainslie, the skipper of the British team, said that the opportunity for Britain to win the America's Cup was a "once in a lifetime" event. The team will give it their all when they face New Zealand.

A long-time supporter of the team, Britain's Princess Diana, sent a message of encouragement to the team after they won the right to compete against the America's Cup holders. Ainslie compared them to the All Blacks in sailing.

Ainslie said on the dock in front of his team's impressive base at the Mediterranean port city of Barcelona: "She has been with us throughout that journey, so we are really grateful for her and everyone back home."

In my experience, the key to success in life is to seize every opportunity. Ainslie said, "Don't be afraid. Take it on. Go for it. Give it your all."

The 47-year old said, "The America's Cup was the oldest sporting trophy in the world... Britain has a proud sporting history and this is what's missing."

Ainslie said that beating the holders was a "huge, huge challenge," especially when the defending team is as strong as the one in Emirates Team New Zealand. He added: "It would be a great opportunity for our team if we could go all the way."

The odds are in favour of the holders because they can define the key parameters for the design and the rules when defending the America's Cup.

Ainslie explained: "It would be like playing against the All Blacks after they won the Rugby World Cup. They decide that for the next World Cup the pitch will be bigger and there might be more pressure on the ball."

Ainslie's team is still working on the details of the match against New Zealand, which begins Oct. 12 with the first-to-7-wins "match".

It's amazing how much performance you can gain from small changes. Ainslie said, "But that's the beauty in the performance of these boats", referring to the "tweaks".

"I expect New Zealand will constantly improve." "They're training and improving every day, and we're doing the same," said he. He added that the key was to reach the peak of the development curve in the final.

'INTENSE'

The AC75 boats, in which Britain will compete against New Zealand, are the latest sailing technology. They are raised just above the surface of the water by hydrofoils.

It's unbelievably intense sailing these boats, but especially when we're near the top of the wind limit," Ainslie said. He added that sailing "phenomenal craft" at speeds up to 100 km/h produced a "huge rush of adrenaline".

This challenge has been made different by the financial backing of British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, for what Ainslie called "an expensive sport" and a partnership between Formula One's Mercedes Team to tackle its technological challenges.

The relationship with Mercedes Formula One Team has been pivotal for us. It's a huge partnership. Ainslie stated that the resources available in Formula One are ten times greater than those of America's Cup.

Mercedes was "a huge part of the success" for Ainslie, who said that his team didn't have the same level of resources. They benefited from Mercedes' expertise and skill set in fluid dynamics, simulation, manufacturing and other areas.

Ratcliffe, the boss of INEOS, has played a major role.

Jim has certainly helped us with that. Ainslie stated that Jim has been a part of our journey and we have included him in every major decision we've taken. (Reporting and editing by Christian Radnedge; Alexander Smith)

(source: Reuters)