The last day of official racing at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth saw thousands of people visit the event to show their support to the 6 competing teams, as Land Rover BAR triumphed at their home event.
The delighted crowds witnessed Sir Ben Ainslie’s team take the lead on the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series leader board thanks to their performance over the weekend. On stage in front of the cheering crowds Sir Ben said:
“It is a great result in front of the home crowd. It’s amazing for Portsmouth to have these events [in 2015 and 2016]. The ultimate goal is to bring the America’s Cup back here. It’s going to be a great event in Bermuda next year and we’ll be giving it everything.”
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Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge also showed their support, visiting the Land Rover BAR base and then viewing the racing on the water. The royal couple then took to the main stage to present the competing teams with the Victory Trophies, designed by Zak Kay, age 10, from Portsmouth and made by local artist Michelle Littlewood. On meeting the Royal couple Zak said:
“It was amazing meeting the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, they were really nice. They asked me how I came up with the design of the trophy.”
The weekend action continued off the water with the public enjoying the activities in the Race Village. Highlights included the chance to see the AC45F catamaran used by the teams on display in the Tech Zone, trying out the Royal Navy climbing wall and BMW Blokart land yachts. The Red Bull Matadors were the final aerial display of the weekend and they wowed the crowds with their spectacular and daring manoeuvres high up in the sky.
The America’s Cup World Series action now moves on to Toulon France in September; Fukuoka, Japan in November before the final of the America’s Cup in Bermuda next year.
Featured photo: Ricardo Pintol
