AC36: Sir Ben Ainslie's (GBR) statement following the release of the AC36 Protocol – 'We wil

PORTSMOUTH, GBR – We are comfortable with the transition, the key people in our sailing, design, engineering and support teams all have a great deal of relevant experience. With the rule not coming out until March, we hope that it will be a collaborative approach to its development with all stakeholders included. A nationality rule was also introduced for the sailing teams. Land Rover BAR has always had a British identity and this rule won't affect us. It's good to see that the World Series will continue in 2019, and we look forward to returning to America's Cup racing in the new class. The Cup has gained a lot of new fans and it was encouraging to hear both the Defender and Challenger of Record's commitment to delivering the same high standard of global, televisual racing to cement the interest in our sport. The America's Cup is the hardest trophy to win in world sport, and it's likely that we will be traveling half-way around the world to compete on the home waters of the world's most successful modern America's Cup team. Team New Zealand have been in all six of the openly contested Cups since 1995, and they have won three of them. We don't underestimate the challenge – it is immense – but we will call on the very best of British technology and innovation through our partners, and use that British fighting spirit to finally bring the Cup home to Britain. We will learn from our mistakes, and come back stronger. I want to thank the team's Board of Investors led by Chairman Sir Charles Dunstone and title and main partners Land Rover, 11th Hour Racing, Aberdeen Standard Investments, CMC, BT and Coutts for their continued support which allows us to go forward with such confidence. –Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), team principal for Land Rover BAR, the AC35 challenger that has said they intend to continue in AC36, in a statement issued from their team base in the UK following yesterday's announcement in Auckland of the AC36 Protocol. Full statement here.

Your Ed. firmly believes the decision to return to monohulls is a blessing in disguise for Land Rover BAR, for any number of reasons that we will expand on in due course.

Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR) on his team's AC50 in Bermuda during AC35.