Land Rover BAR, the British Challenger, made a statement of intent after producing a dominant display on the opening day of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth yesterday.

The home team coped best in the light and shifty breezes that kept the racing fleet on their toes, posting two victories and as many thirds in the four official practice races, to get their campaign off on the front foot.

Sir Ben Ainslie and his crew won the first race from wire to wire, the second after pulling through from the middle of the fleet, before posting solid thirds in the final two races of the day.

“It was great to be back racing in Portsmouth again with these fantastic crowds,” Ainslie, the Land Rover BAR skipper and team principal, said. “We were happy with how we sailed today.”

While encouraged by the day’s results, the two-times King Edward VII Gold Cup winner and four-times Olympic gold medal winner said there was still room for improvement.

“We made a few small errors that we need to go and iron out for the rest of the weekend, but we’re really excited about the days to come,” Ainslie said.

Land Rover BAR are second behind leaders Emirates Team New Zealand in the overall World Series standings, level on points with Oracle Team USA, defenders of the “Auld Mug”.

The British challenger of the 35th America’s Cup, to be held in Bermuda next June, are gunning for a third regatta victory on the World Series circuit, and second straight on home waters after winning last year’s opening event in Portsmouth.

Also thriving in yesterday’s conditions were Softbank Team Japan, who won the day’s third and final race to give themselves some early momentum heading into today’s official first day of racing on the Solent, venue of the first America’s Cup race in 1851.

“Last year the crowds that turned up on the Saturday were just unbelievable,” Dean Barker, the Team Japan CEO and skipper, said. “It seems the momentum is starting to build around BAR and the America’s Cup being here, so I think it’s going to be huge tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to it.”

The fleet racing regatta features all five America’s Cup challengers as well as Oracle Team USA.

The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series concludes tomorrow with the points doubled.

• Jim and Kristy Hinze-Clark’s 100-foot monohull Comanche, the first racing yacht to finish this year’s Newport Bermuda Race in record time, was scheduled to embark on a record-breaking attempt from New York to Britain yesterday.

The supermaxi was scheduled to depart New York last night and point her bow East to Britain after a weather window promising fast conditions with strong wind, great angles and flat seas all the way to Europe opened up.

The yacht’s world-class crew will be without several regulars, including Ken Read, the skipper, and Jimmy Spithill, who are both involved with this weekend’s events in Portsmouth. Read is commentating, while Spithill is the skipper of Oracle Team USA.

Comanche set a new Newport Bermuda Race elapsed time record after completing the 635 nautical mile course in 34hr 42min 53sec, slashing nearly five hours off the previous record of 39:39:18 set by George David’s Rambler in 2012.