America's Cup: Cup comeback: Rolf Vrolijk advises Sir Ben Ainslie's team

Eleven years after his last triumph in the America's Cup, Rolf Vrolijk is once again involved with a Cup team. The Hamburg-based Dutchman and co-founder of the design company Judel/Vrolijk & Co is advising Sir Ben Ainslie's Ineos Team UK. "This is a very interesting project. We are acting as consultants, supporting the team wherever we can," Rolf Vrolijk told YACHT online. According to Vrolijk, there is no better team in terms of sailing, and the team is technically experienced after participating in the last edition of the Cup and is not starting from scratch.

Nice clip about the challenge of Sir Ben Ainslie's Ineos Team UK with historical sequences and a preview of the upcoming events

For Sir Ben Ainslie, the 36th America's Cup marks the second hunt for the coveted silver jug under the British flag. His Ineos Team UK, alongside the Royal Yacht Squadron Racing club, has been accepted as an official challenger by the New Zealand Cup defenders. The aim of the British is to win the oldest and most important trophy in international sailing for England for the first time in 2021 and bring it back to their home country, where the history of the most famous sailing regatta in sporting history began in 1851. So far, however, despite 21 challenges in 167 years of Cup history, the British have not managed to win the "Auld Mug" even once.

Since finding a new strong main sponsor and namesake in Ineos a few months ago, the team has quietly signed up other industry greats. These include Australian Olympic champion Iain Jensen, who brings the total number of Olympic medals won by the team to six gold and two silver medals, alongside gold medallists Sir Ben Ainslie (4) and tactician Giles Scott (1). Together, the team members have 16 America's Cup victories. CEO and America's Cup legend Grant Simmer alone has taken part in the Cup ten times in various roles and won it four times. Sailing manager Jono MacBeth has won the trophy three times and new trimmer Joey Newton twice. Rolf Vrolijk brings two victories and a great deal of experience to the British game as a consultant. It was he who, as chief designer for Alinghi in 2003, helped to bring the trophy back to Europe (Valencia) for the first time in 152 years with the victory of the Swiss.

The 36th America's Cup is sailed on 75-foot monohulls (AC75) with foils. Rolf Vroljk describes them more as "trimarans", saying "there is a hull in the centre that has arms". Vrolik attests to the "great potential" of his new team and is looking forward to the advisory tasks.