AMERICA’S CUP: Over 130,000 people turned up in Southsea last weekend to see Ben Ainslie and his Land Rover BAR team take the all important first win in the gale shortened ACWS event.Land Rover BAR showed the six strong fleet the way home on the Saturday, with a strong first and a recovery from last but one to a second place to lead the fleet with 19pts; just one ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand.But racing was cancelled on the Sunday as a low pressure system swept across Britain, bringing gale force winds with 40kt gusts, way over the upper level for AC45f racing.The loss of the final two races on Super Sunday meant that the prizes were settled on Saturday’s results – leaving Sir Ben’s Land Rover BAR as the winner.Amongst many disappointed spectators were Their Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Like thousands of others, they had visited Portsmouth hoping to see the America’s Cup contenders go into battle.Despite the lack of action on the water they still had a busy day, meeting the sailors from the different teams, and many of the people that had helped put on the event.They also visited the new home of Land Rover BAR, to meet both team members and their families. The couple also met with the 1851 Trust, of which The Duchess is Royal Patron, and concluded the day by presenting the prizes in a ceremony at the Historic Dockyard.Gusts over 37 knots were recorded at Southsea Common, and the Waterfront Festival and Fanzone Arenas had to be shut down for public safety.Race organisers initially rescheduled the racing to a midday start, to try to beat the arrival of the worst of the weather, but it wasn’t to be and, as the wind howled and the rain beat down, organisers reluctantly abandoned their efforts to put on the show.Final standings:1. Land Rover BAR – 19 points2. Emirates Team New Zealand – 183. ORACLE TEAM USA – 164. Groupama Team France – 135. SoftBank Team Japan – 136. Artemis Racing – 11All America’s Cup teams have been given the right to run their own AC45f ACWS event, but so far – after Portsmouth – the only dates known are Gothenburg, Sweden – August 27-30, 2015 and Hamilton, Bermuda – October 16-18, 2015

via Boating Business – Land Rover BAR takes the ACWS win.