INEOS Team UK’s America’s Cup yacht Britannia takes to the water

We were excited to see our clients INEOS Team UK in the news recently as they officially named their race boat for next year’s America’s Cup.

Team principal and skipper Sir Ben Ainslie and his team are bidding to become the first British team to bring home the world’s oldest international sporting trophy.

They christened the boat Britannia from their base in Auckland, New Zealand, three months before the start of racing for the 36^th America’s Cup. The event marked the culmination of more than 90,000 hours of design and 46,000 construction hours on the team’s second AC75 racing yacht.

With 140 on-board sensors and 240 metres of hydraulic pipes, Britannia is an impressive feat of engineering. The boat weighs 6.45 tonnes and will be raced by an 11-strong crew, with an estimated top speed of over 50 knots (57.5 mph).

Martin Aldridge, partner and head of marine at PKF Francis Clark, said: “We’re thrilled to be working with INEOS Team UK, and the launch of this stunning boat is an exciting moment in their quest to make British sailing history by winning the America’s Cup. We can’t wait to see Britannia in competitive action and wish Sir Ben and his team every success.”

Matt Robinson, CEO of INEOS Team UK, said: “PKF Francis Clark have provided financial support services to the INEOS Team UK race team since their inception. They are professional and friendly and interested in the team. Their payroll team are always helpful and organised and do not over-complicate things.”

For more information about our marine experts, click here.