As we countdown to the 35th America’s Cup The Royal Gazette will bring you a series of fun facts about the boats, the sailors, the crew, and the history of this illustrious competition. There are now eight days until the month-long sporting spectacle gets under way.

Led by Sir Ben Ainslie, the greatest sailor of his generation, Land Rover BAR are considered to be one of the favourites to win the right to challenge Oracle Team USA in the 35th America’s Cup Match next month.

An America’s Cup winner already with Oracle in 2013, Ainslie has set up his own team with the goal of returning the Cup to Britain for the first time since 1851, and even for a sailor with four Olympic gold medals to his name that is some challenge.

Thankfully Ainslie, who won silver at his first Games in Atlanta in 1996, has got a crew with no small amount of experience, one that owns eight Olympic medals between them.

Giles Scott MBE, a bowman and strategist, won gold in the Finn Class at the Rio Games last year, while Xabier Fernandez, a tactician and grinder, has competed at three Olympic Games for Spain, winning gold in the 49er Class in Athens in 2004, and taking silver in Beijing four years later.

Outside of the Olympics, the BAR crew also includes Jono Macbeth, who has won the America’s Cup three times during his career, the last of which was alongside Ainslie for Oracle Team USA in San Francisco four years ago.