America's Cup: Well chosen? Sir Ainslie asks Alinghi Red Bull Racing to the semi-final dance

Brits against Swiss, Italians against Americans. That's the short formula for the semi-final pairings in the Louis Vuitton Cup. Before Barcelona, the challenger series for the 37th America's Cup continues to rage towards the decision as to which team can challenge the New Zealand Cup defenders in the battle for the ornate silver jug from 12 October. Before that, there are the semi-finals from 14 September and the final for the Louis Vuitton Cup from 26 September.

European semi-final: "Britannia" vs. "BoatOne"

Neither the other teams nor observers and fans were surprised by the semi-final opponent that Sir Ben Ainslie announced in Barcelona on Friday. "We are sailing in the semi-final against Alinghi Red Bull Racing," said the CEO, skipper and helmsman of Ineos Britannia. The four-time Olympic champion assured that the choice was "definitely not a no-brainer". "Every team has its strengths and weaknesses, especially in the different conditions. Which is why the forecast for the semi-final period was an important factor."

Our focus now is on getting points on the board and achieving good performance gains." Sir Ben Ainslie

Ben Anslie continued: "In all honesty, we only confirmed our decision a few hours ago." The team had consulted the sailors, coaches, performance people, analysts and technicians. "We believe that Alinghi will be a good test for us and give us a good chance to learn. It's a great position to have finished the round robin as the top team and to be able to choose our opponent for the semi-final. But let's not get ahead of ourselves: there's still a lot to do."

We have five races to win. And that is the goal." Arnaud Psarofaghis

The answer from Swiss helmsman Arnaud Psarofaghis, whose team had lost both round-robin encounters with Ineos Britannia, came promptly: "Your choice makes sense. They were first, we were last. As far as we're concerned, we have the chance to take off with a few modifications to the boat and crew. We only have one opponent now, which makes it a different game."

European-American duel: "Luna Rossa" vs. "Patriot"

But the Swiss are far from admitting defeat. Arnaud Psarofaghis said: "We'll see what happens on the water tomorrow. As Ben said, it will be incredible to sail in the semi-finals. We will enjoy it and push the boat hard as a team." In the second semi-final, Patrizio Bertelli's Italian team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will face US team NYYC American Magic in their seventh Cup attempt.

I believe we have the team that can beat 'Luna Rossa'." Tom Slingsby

For the Americans, helmsman Tom Slingsby said: "We're a whole new team compared to the 36th America's Cup; the boat works in a wider range of conditions; we've moved on from the last campaign; we're a much stronger team. I wasn't there for American Magic's last campaign, but I believe we have the team to beat 'Luna Rossa'. And I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do."

The goal remains the same: to win one race after another." Max Sirena

For Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Team Director Max Sirena summed up the Italian view of the semi-final pairings: "Ineos Britannia has made a choice that many had predicted, but which was not guaranteed. Not much has changed for us, because we are up against strong opponents. The goal remains the same: to win one race after another and progress to the next round. We are ready for anything. The matches against the Americans will be very interesting. It will be exciting."

Semi-final duels this weekend

The duels for a place in the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup begin on Saturday (14 September). Four duels are scheduled from 2.10 pm. The first match will be between the Italians and the Americans, followed by the Swiss and the British. The strongest challengers in the double round robin round were also allowed to choose whether they would always contest the first or second duel of the two semi-finals. They chose the second, which also has the advantage of being able to observe the conditions and developments on the course in advance at the start of each race day from 2.10 pm.

The first team to achieve five wins in the semi-finals from 14 September will advance to the challenger final from 26 September. This means that one or other of the semi-finals could end as early as Monday if one team makes a clean sweep. In the event of a maximum even draw, the final would be on 19 September at the latest, unless more alternative days are needed than the reserve day set for 17 September.

All races are broadcast live

Only the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will earn the right to challenge the New Zealand Cup defenders in the 37th match for the "bottomless silver jug" in front of Barcelona from 12 October. Like the round robin rounds, the semi-finals and finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup will be played via America's Cup YouTube channel here transferred.

Click here for the results.

Will the two best challengers so far - Ineos Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - be able to prevail in the semi-finals? Or will NYYC American Magic or Alinghi Red Bull Racing pull off a surprise? To get you in the mood for the semi-finals from 14 September, here is the play-off between Ineos Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli for the round robin victory reloaded: