America's Cup: The Ainslie double: "We can do it!"

First they secured victory in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series and then in the final race on "Super Sunday" they also won the ninth and final regatta in Fukuoka, Japan: this weekend went just as Sir Ben Ainslie and his Land Rover BAR team would have liked. The Brits showed nerves of steel and flying the flag, proving to the Cup world that they at least have what it takes to seriously challenge the Cup defenders from Oracle Team USA next year. What the teams can do technically will only become clear in the summer of 2017.

A short clip from the final in Japan. Sir Ben AInslie's Team Land Rover BAR also secured victory in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series by winning the regatta

In the world series, the English team relegated the American Cup defenders and Emirates Team New Zealand to second and third place. At the regatta in Fukuoka, the Swedish Team Artemis and Oracle Team USA, who were equal on points, were beaten by the British in second and third place. On the final "Super Sunday", a 4-2-3 record was enough for the British to overtake the competition in the final sprint. The jubilation on board the British catamaran was correspondingly great. "For us as a team, this victory sends a strong message to all our supporters: we can do it."

The four-time Olympic champion was of course alluding to his team's chances in the 35th America's Cup. Ainslie's team Land Rover BAR is aiming to become the first British team to win the most important trophy in international sailing in 2017 and bring it back to its home country, where the première took place around the Isle of Wight in 1851. The British had lost the "bottomless jug" directly to American challengers and had never won it in 165 years. Sir Ben Ainslie and his team-mates want to erase this historical blemish next year off Bermuda.

With the overall victory in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series, Team Land Rover BAR earned two bonus points for the 2017 qualifiers, while the American Cup defenders with skipper Jimmy Spithill secured one bonus point. New Zealand's Emirates Team New Zealand, with Olympic champion Peter Burling at the helm, came away empty-handed in the battle for the bonus points.

Over the past two years, the Brits have secured victory in the world series primarily through consistency: Ainslie's men have only missed out on a place on the podium twice. The Brits won four of the nine regattas (2 x Portsmouth, Oman and Fukuoka). Once they sailed to second place (Chicago) and twice to third place (Gothenburg and Toulon). "The overall victory was our goal all season," said Ainslie, "the guys did an incredibly good job."

Jimmy Spithill's Oracle Team USA was no longer able to threaten the British team's overall victory, even with aggressive manoeuvres, and ultimately had to defend second place and the one bonus point that came with it against the third-placed New Zealanders. "We wanted the points and would have loved to have both," said Spithill, "but on the other hand we certainly didn't want to let Team New Zealand take our one point away from us." Spithill was a fair loser and said: "I'd like to congratulate BAR on winning the series. You get what you deserve in this game. They sailed well."