Voyage of discovery
By Ellen MacArthur BBC Sport Online

Britain's first bid for 15 years has a massive amount to learn.

It's incredibly hard to do well the first time you enter the America's Cup, particularly as - if you are not the holder - you are forced to sail in unfamiliar waters.

It was an incredible achievement when New Zealand took the Cup in American waters and it would be truly amazing if Peter Harrison's GBR Challenge could get an away win.

That said, I also think you would be crazy to go into something like this without having reasonably high expectations.

Of course, in an ideal world, the boys would just romp home with the America's Cup.

But realistically, if they can reach the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, they'll have done an awesome job.

Just putting a campaign together, funding it and getting it ready to race is a massive coup and to progress to the latter stages would be the icing on the cake.

All being well, this immense preparation will also lead to another Cup bid and will establish Britain as a sailing force again.

We certainly have the personnel.

Ian Walker is an incredibly talented sailor, who has put this project on his shoulders.

And what can you say about campaign founder Peter Harrison?

He has had a huge impact on British sailing.

To have invested so much money in a high-level attempt to win back the America's Cup is highly commendable.

I know I'm not down in New Zealand at the moment but I wish the guys all the best.

I know they'll do their best and am confident that they will do the country proud.

Ellen MacArthur will be keeping us up to date with her preparations for the Route du Rhum and the Jules Verne record attempt and will continue to give us her thoughts on Britain's America's Cup bid.