KEY POINTS:
LONDON - Two-time Olympic gold medal winner Ben Ainslie will skipper Britain's America's Cup yachting challenge in 2009, Team Origin announced on Friday (NZ time).
Ainslie, who won gold for Britain in Sydney in 2000 and in Athens three years ago, will be at the helm in Valencia after tasting America's Cup action when he was part of the New Zealand challengers who lost to Swiss holder Alinghi in July.
Britain have never regained the trophy since the United States won the first series in 1851.
"This is a big honour to be given the opportunity to lead a British sailing team to try and go out and win back the America's Cup," Ainslie said.
"We have a great team in place, it's 50 per cent British with the cream of British talent.
"It's been a long time coming ... we've had British bids before but this is exciting because it's the right time in terms of Keith Mills being involved and having the sailing talent coming together and the designers from other teams.
"To get that altogether at once is quite unique."
Since launching Team Origin in January with his own money, British businessman Mills, a key figure in London's 2012 Olympic Games bid, has recruited four previous America's Cup winners, five round-the-world winners, together with Ainslie and fellow British Olympic gold medallist Iain Percy.
"This is a British challenge. At least 50 per cent of our team is British. The funding is British, the flag is British, the race boats will be built in Britain," he said.
While Ainslie has made his name racing small boats, he was the natural choice to lead Britain's America's Cup bid in a new 30m class, according to team director, New Zealander Mike Sanderson, the 2006 sailor of the year.
"There's no doubting his talent," said Sanderson, who has been involved with three previous America's Cup teams but never in such a key role.
"He will bring all the skills and determination that won him two gold medals to the team."
Ainslie, who will be competing at the Beijing Olympics next year, is relishing the prospect of landing the pinnacle of sailing after losing out to Alinghi with Team New Zealand.
"This is massively different to the Olympics," he said.
"You're on your own there but this team will ultimately be around 80 to 100 strong and everyone makes a difference.
"I had three years with Team New Zealand, a great experience. It was very disappointing for New Zealand, the team had huge support from back home. You could see how devastating it was for the whole nation when we didn't win it.
"It would be great if we could get the same amount of support from the British people ...I don't think people quite grasp how amazing it would be to get it back to where it all begun in the 1850s."
- REUTERS
