Home / Sports / Ineos Seizes America's Cup Boat in Bitter Dispute
Ineos Seizes America's Cup Boat in Bitter Dispute
22 Mar
Summary
- Ineos is taking legal action to reclaim the Britannia boat.
- The boat cost Ineos £180 million and was highly successful.
- Ainslie's team, GB1, claims ownership of the vessel.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos group has initiated legal proceedings to reclaim the America's Cup boat, Britannia. This action stems from a reportedly soured relationship between Ratcliffe and Sir Ben Ainslie, who previously led the Ineos-backed sailing team.
Ineos funded Ainslie's bid for the America's Cup in 2021 and 2024. However, the partnership dissolved early last year. Ineos later abandoned its challenge for the 2027 America's Cup, citing delays attributed to Athena Racing, a team formed by Ainslie.
Ineos expressed surprise that the Britannia, which cost £180 million and was described as the most successful British boat in history, was taken by Athena Racing. They emphasized that the boat belongs to Ineos and cannot be used without permission.
GB1, Ainslie's rebranded team, responded by acknowledging Ineos' past support but maintained that the boat was owned by and in possession of Athena Racing. They stated that the use of the vessel for the upcoming America's Cup 38 is unsurprising.
