The Shock Dismissal That Started a Feud
The sailing world was rocked in January when Sir Jim Ratcliffe made the contentious decision to drop Sir Ben Ainslie from his Ineos Britannia sailing team. This dramatic move came despite Ainslie leading the British team to their first America's Cup final in 60 years just months earlier in Barcelona.
Ainslie, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, described himself as "astounded" by Ratcliffe's decision to sever their partnership ahead of the 2027 America's Cup campaign. The petrochemicals billionaire, who also owns Manchester United and holds a stake in Mercedes F1, ended a backing relationship that had been in place since 2018.
Legal Clash and Intellectual Property Battle
The split quickly turned bitter when Ainslie formed his own team, Athena Racing, with ambitions to compete for Britain in the next America's Cup. This immediately created conflict with Ineos over which team owned the valuable intellectual property developed during their partnership.
The dispute escalated into a legal battle that ultimately saw Ratcliffe forced to back down. In an April statement, Ineos Britannia blamed Athena Racing for "a protracted negotiation" that prevented "a timely conclusion" and said they had to "reluctantly" withdraw from the legal fight.
The resolution allows both teams to move forward with their own America's Cup campaigns using the shared intellectual property. Ainslie explained: "The IP we developed together we're sharing going forward. We have IP on our side, they have IP on their side, and the agreement is that both teams can take that forward in their own spheres."
Moving Forward: Reconciliation and New Challenges
Despite the acrimonious split and legal wrangling, Ainslie has revealed he's ready to bury the hatchet with his former business partner. Speaking to The Times, the 48-year-old sailing legend said he would still be willing to share a drink with Ratcliffe.
"I hope so," Ainslie stated. "I mean we achieved a lot as a team and Jim and Ineos were a big part of that. Obviously, it's got a lot of interest, both in sport and business, but we always got on very well personally. So let's see."
Ainslie acknowledged the cut-throat nature of top-level sailing, noting: "This is the world we live in. There's a lot at stake and it's cut-throat to a certain extent. None of it's necessarily surprising and I'm still really proud of what we achieved in Barcelona."
Both men have now moved on to new challenges. Athena Racing, under Ainslie's leadership, is focused on delivering Britain's first America's Cup win since the competition began in 1851. The next edition will be held off the Neapolitan coast in 2027.
Meanwhile, Ratcliffe has plenty to occupy him elsewhere, with Manchester United attempting to firm up plans for a new stadium at Old Trafford while the football club struggles in 10th position in the Premier League following their recent 1-0 defeat by 10-man Everton.
