Americas Cup: Great Britain top group in Louis Vuitton challenger series

Ben Ainslie’s Ineos Britannia team have topped the round-robin stage in qualifying as they bid to become the first British crew to win the America’s Cup.

As group winners in the Louis Vuitton Cup ahead of Italy, the United States, Switzerland and France, who have been eliminated, Ainslie’s team will be able to choose their semi-final opponents.

But skipper Ainslie has yet to reveal who they will take on in the last four in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Barcelona.

“To be honest, we weren’t really expecting that,” Ainslie said after beating the Italian team in a sail-off.

“I think we’ve got a quick package so we’ve just got to keep that ball rolling.”

The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will challenge defending champions New Zealand for the America’s Cup – the oldest international trophy in sport.

The Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals take place from 14-23 September.