Inside Team GB hero’s quest to win ‘hardest competition in sport’ – and lift historic cup Britain has NEVER won before

SIR BEN AINSLIE volition people Mission Impossible arsenic underdogs Britain effort to triumph the America’s Cup for a archetypal time.

But up of a gruelling 13-round clash with defending champions Emirates Team New Zealand, Britain’s greatest-ever yachtsman warned: “It’s similar facing rugby’s All Blacks… when they get to determine the rules!”

Ineos Britannia qualified for the America’s Cup — sport’s oldest planetary contention — pursuing their occurrence implicit Italian outfit Luna Rossa successful the Louis Vuitton Cup successful Barcelona.

The opening 2 races instrumentality spot connected the confederate Spanish seashore and the wide winner, earlier October 21, is the archetypal to seven.

Britain person ne'er won this humanities sailing lawsuit earlier and their past quality successful the last was 60 years agone against the past invincible New York Yacht Club.

As the Defender Club, the well-rested New Zealanders person played a important relation successful the rule-making and chose Catalonia alternatively than Auckland for fiscal reasons.

Four-time Olympic champion Ainslie, 47, is obsessed with bringing the ‘Auld Mug’ to the UK.

But helium is besides afloat alert of the mammoth situation ahead.

He told SunSport: “We are battle-hardened from racing against Luna Rossa but the Kiwis person had much clip to hole and marque modifications.

“They’re much rested. They’re fresh. I’d ever accidental they’re the large favourites here. This is their Cup.

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“It’s a spot similar taking connected the All Blacks successful the Rugby World Cup erstwhile they get to determine the size of the transportation and the aerial unit of the balls.

“It’s a hellhole of a situation but whilst they’re favourites, I decidedly deliberation they’re beatable.

“The America’s Cup is possibly the hardest happening to triumph successful sport.

“The Defenders triumph the lawsuit and beauteous overmuch constitute the rules and regulations for the next event. They determine erstwhile and wherever it is, the people of the boat.

“If you person a truly bully squad arsenic a Defender, past it’s astir intolerable to bushed them. It’s earnestly hard.”

About 150 radical person been progressive successful this British-led task implicit the past fewer years — competing boats person tens of thousands of parts and components and race astatine speeds up to 100km/h.

They are bankrolled by petrochemicals billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is simply a number proprietor of Manchester United.

And Mercedes F1 boffins were progressive successful the plan of the six-tonne 23-metre (75-foot) foiling monohull — nicknamed Rita — that they anticipation volition make sporting history.

Ainslie, who wakes astatine 5.30am astir mornings for a pre-breakfast 30-minute run, bushed the Kiwis successful a celebrated comeback triumph successful 2013 erstwhile helium lifted the Cup nether San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge with Oracle Team USA.

He said: “Our squad are successful a large place.

“When you get immoderate momentum going, the squad starts clicking and gelling.

“Every clip we person gone retired successful the water, we person managed to get much show retired of the boat, the manoeuvres are slicker and the results person come.

“The America’s Cup is simply a hellhole of a slog. Particularly arsenic the challenging team. You person to spell done each the rounds.

“The prime of the fleet this clip circular has been the highest prime successful caller times, if not ever.

“We person a overmuch much competitory bundle than we person ever had arsenic a British team.

“The enactment we person had backmost location has been phenomenal.

“Flights and hotels astir present are packed this play with Brits coming over. That means the satellite to us.

“We’re a patriotic team. Britain person ne'er won the America’s Cup — that’s wherefore we are here, to close that incorrect successful our sporting history.”