I Sail Away

Sir Ben Ainslie took some time out of his racing schedule at the Argo Gold Cup in Bermuda to speak with the Independent reporter about the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation, some misconceptions about Team Oracle, and the possibility of him leading a British entry into the next America’s Cup.

The racing of the Argo Gold Cup is raising funds for the foundation created in honor of Andrew “Bart” Simpson who died of an accident during training for the 2013 America’s Cup. Because he continually supported and encouraged beginning sailors, Sir Ben Ainslie, Ian Percy OBE, and Bart Simpson’s wife, Leah, created the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation to carry on his efforts of supporting youth sailing and racers. For the Argo Cup, Sir Ainslie is leading the same crew that followed Bart Simpson in the 2008 Argo Group Gold Cup.

When asked about Team Oracle, Ainslie quickly dispelled many of the rumors about teams of designers, magical “Herbie” devices, and incredible egos. He argued that much of the speculation comes from the unimaginable wealth of Larry Ellison, but that the team was actually fairly grounded—and, that their design team was actually smaller than Team New Zealand’s.

Sir Ben Ainslie promised a firm announcement of a British team for the next America’s Cup in the next month—if there is going to be one.

Read the full interview at the Independent.