85,000 man hours over three years by a 120-strong team and the end product for sailing uk, the British America’s Cup team’s America’s Cup Class (ACC) yacht which was launched today at the team’s brand new base in Bermuda’s Royal Dockyard.
Rita, as all Ben Ainslie’s competitive boats have been named, is the yacht which will carry the hopes of the British nation as Ben and his team attempt to win the 35th running of the America’s Cup, the first time in its 166 year history that the Cup would be won by a team from Great Britain.
Talking about this momentous occasion for the whole team, Ben Ainslie told guests at the unveiling that “this day is a big deal for us, finally being able to launch the race boat. The America’s Cup has always been a design race as much as a sailing race and what we’re launching today is the culmination of two and half years of flat out work from our designers, boat builders and our shorecrew, and all the guys who’ve been out there in our test boats.