Mackenzie Cooper says the Bermudian crowd can play a huge role in helping the home-town heroes reach the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Finals.

The Team BDA skipper and tactician has no doubt his fellow Bermudians will provide plenty of vocal support from the America’s Cup Village in Dockyard when the team race on the Great Sound today.

“We’re very proud to represent Bermuda and it’s become very evident as the Cup gets closer that all of Bermuda is behind us,” Cooper said. “That’s really special.

“Regardless of background, Bermudians love to get behind Bermuda, and we think that can be a big factor for us. We know we’re going to have their support out there.”

The 22-year-old said it was a “dream come true” to be leading the island’s team in such a prestigious event.

Aside from acting as the team’s eyes on the boat, Cooper said that getting his team-mates to gel both on and off the water has been one of his key responsibilities.

“The entire team is buzzing and getting ready for this huge opportunity,” Cooper added.

“At first we were sort of sitting in different groups; the sailors knew each other and the athletes had some degree of familiarity.

“But as soon as we broke the team down a little bit more and started sailing together, it was like we had been mates for a long, long time.

“That’s one of the coolest parts of our team: there’s no difference between an athlete and a sailor now.”

As the adopted team of Oracle Team USA, the Bermudian entry have had access to the America’s Cup defender’s “playbook” from the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series when they raced the same AC45Fs that Cooper and his team-mates will sail.

“Oracle have helped us a lot and that’s been really beneficial” the former St Mary’s College of Maryland student said.

“We’ve been able to chat to the sailors and, more specifically, Philippe Presti [the Oracle coach]. He’s gone over their playbook and broken down a lot of video with us.

“The hardest part for all of these teams [in the Youth America’s Cup] will be sailing these boats consistently.”

The brainchild of Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher, the Austrian double Olympic gold medal-winners, the Youth America’s Cup aims to prepare young sailors for the challenge of the America’s Cup — with Peter Burling, of Emirates Team New Zealand its most high-profile graduate.

“It’s going to be tough a competition and the Great Sound is the perfect location for these sailors to show their skills,” Steinacher said. “This is the future.”