Dylan Fletcher has become accustomed to winning with the smallest margins.

The sailor, who won Britain's Olympic gold medal in the men's skiff by a few centimetres at the 2021 Medal Race is now within one point of clinching the first America's Cup tilt for his country in 60 years.

Fletcher has been called up to the AC75 by Ben Ainslie, who replaced Giles Scott, his co-helm, at the last minute.

The 36-year old's relentless pursuit of a spot on the team was the only thing that brought about the change. Fletcher says he "pestered Ainslie" every month since the moment Ainslie won his Olympic gold.

Ainslie's decision has so far paid off, as the pair successfully navigated the preliminary rounds and reached the Louis Vuitton Cup. The winner will face New Zealand in the America's Cup finals later in October.

Fletcher, who has won back-toback races in difficult conditions in the first-to-7 series in which Britain is battling Italy, said: "I am learning to sail Cup boats and this is my first Cup. It certainly feels like that's making a different. I'm getting more experience."

If Britain wins, Fletcher will have to compete against New Zealand for the "Auld Mug", the most prized trophy in sailing.

Ainslie believes Fletcher can fulfill both sailors' dream of winning the America's Cup in Britain for the very first time since 1851.

Ainslie said that Fletcher's communication skills were excellent, which helped him to co-helm the boat and make complex tactical decisions.

Ainslie described how their relationship evolved. "Sometimes, one of us needs to make a quick decision. You don't have time to talk about it. So, there is a lot of trust between us."

Fletcher admitted that the first few games of the series had been "pretty intense", and he looked forward to taking a "little rest" before facing the Italians once again.

The New Zealand team of Peter Burling, Blair Tuke and Stuart Bithell, whom Fletcher and his crew Stuart Bithell won gold at the Tokyo Games, will be Fletcher's opponents if Britain does make it to the finals. (Reporting and editing by Ken Ferris; Alexander Smith)

(source: Reuters)