The America's Cup campaign that was supposed to bring the prestigious sailing prize home to Britain has been engulfed in a bitter legal dispute. Sir Ben Ainslie's high-tech yacht Britannia, backed by a £174 million sponsorship deal from billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, is at the centre of a High Court battle.
Allegations of 'Scorched Earth' Tactics
Court documents reveal that Ineos Racing, linked to Sir Jim's energy firm Ineos, decided not to renew sponsorship after an unsuccessful America's Cup bid in 2024. Lawyers for Ineos argue that Sir Ben's Athena Racing must return 'Ineos-funded assets', including the multi-million pound yacht, which has not been done.
However, Athena's barristers claim Ineos has 'unclean hands' and is not entitled to the yacht due to 'reprehensible and improper' conduct. They allege that Rob Nevin, chairman of Ineos Sport, told Sir Ben before the 2024 cup that for Ineos to fund future campaigns, Athena would have to transfer all assets to Ineos. Fionn Pilbrow KC, for Athena, said Nevin warned: 'This is what Jim wants. We have a phrase at Ineos: scorched earth. It means that if you don't give Jim what he wants, he will burn your house down.'
Legal Arguments
Mr Pilbrow described the comment as a 'hostile negotiating tactic' and 'unduly aggressive', asserting that Ineos had 'no entitlement' to the assets sought. A hearing is yet to take place.
The America's Cup, first contested in the 1850s, is the oldest international competition in any sport still operating, but no British team has ever won it. Ineos Britannia became the first British team to compete against the holder in 2024, losing 7-2 to Emirates Team New Zealand in Barcelona.
Future Campaigns
Sir Ben's GB1 team is now challenging for the 38th America's Cup in Naples next year. Conall Patton KC, for Ineos, argued in court documents that there was 'particular prestige associated' with Britannia and that the 2024 campaign was Britain's most successful in the competition's history. He stated that a 2021 agreement required Athena to return Ineos-funded assets when the agreement expired, but Athena had 'refused or failed' to transfer them by February 2025, causing loss to Ineos.
But Mr Pilbrow countered that Athena had not breached the agreement, that Ineos 'does not have any commercial use' for the yacht, and that transferring it would 'radically and irreparably harm' Athena's preparations for the 2027 cup.
