 Ainslie will also be going for his third Olympic Finn title in 2012 |
Ben Ainslie has abandoned his bid to break the transatlantic sailing record for a monohull after the yacht's mainsail was damaged in a storm. Britain's triple Olympic gold medallist was part of a 24-person crew which included Sir Richard Branson, the owner of the 99-foot racing yacht. "The waves hit us from behind and took one of our lift rafts," said Branson. "The storm blew a spinnaker and ripped the mainsail. We tried to repair it, but the bottom was too badly ripped." Virgin Group founder Branson set sail from New York on Wednesday attempting to break the record of six days, 17 hours, 52 minutes and 39 seconds. The team covered approximately 150 miles in the first 13 hours of their voyage but were hampered by winds gusting up to 50 knots and 25-foot waves. "The boat will be ready to sail again in the next few weeks, and it's possible that there might be one week left this season, otherwise it will be spring before it can go again," added Branson. "But everybody onboard the boat is committed to get the record. The boat did well but the conditions were too bad for the boat to bear."  | There's no question it has the performance to break the record, but the key is not breaking it |
Earlier this week, Ainslie, who won his second Olympic Finn title in Beijing to add to the Laser gold he claimed at the Sydney 2000 Games and Laser silver in Atlanta in 1996, said: "It's a hugely significant record in sailing history. "If we can take it, it'd be great to have on your CV." The high-tech maxi-yacht was designed by Juan Kuoyoumidjian, who is the principal designer behind Team Origin, Britain's planned America's Cup challenger. "With this boat, with this level of performance, the key is not breaking anything," Ainslie, who has never crossed the Atlantic, continued. "The boat's amazing. There's no question it has the performance to break the record, but the key is not breaking it. First, you've got to finish." Ainslie is also involved in Britain's America's Cup bid, but he said he remains focused on defending his Olympic Finn title at the 2012 London Games. "Last time I combined preparing for the Olympics with the America's Cup and it dovetailed pretty well. It made me a better sailor," he said.
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