Emirates Great Britain driver Ben Ainslie is looking to ‘move forwards’ with ‘more confidence’ in Taranto after the British team netted their first event win since Season 2 in Saint-Tropez.
Ainslie’s crew beat Season 3 champions Australia and LA winners Spain in the three-boat showdown, passing the Aussies in a dramatic 11th hour sprint to the finish.
Reflecting on the win, Ainslie said that the team was ‘delighted of course’ but this was mingled with ‘embarrassment’. “I think all of us on board felt it had taken too long to come around and win again and we were frustrated by that,’ he said.
The team underwent a period of self-reflection during ‘the dry patch’, he said, but decided against crew changes. “We knew we had a really good team and we don’t need to change too much or change people.”
“In my view, everyone on the team is the best in the business and for some reason we just couldn’t get it across the line,” he said.
Looking ahead to Season 4’s fourth event in Taranto this weekend, Ainslie said he hoped to harness the ‘momentum’ of Saint-Tropez’s win.
“People talk about momentum being a big deal in sport and I hope that’s the case with us now,” he said.
Utilizing momentum of a win could ‘make the difference’ amongst the tight racing of the SailGP fleet, he said.
“It’s about taking some of the gains from Saint-Tropez, keeping that positivity going and the good vibes, good communication and good boat handling on board.”
The F50 fleet will go to battle in Taranto across two days of fast and furious racing on September 23-24.
