Team Origin
Career
Yacht club Royal Thames Yacht Club
Established2007
Nation United Kingdom
Team principal(s)Sir Keith Mills
CEOGrant Simmer
SkipperBen Ainslie
Notable sailorsIain Percy
Andrew Simpson
Notable victoriesThe 1851 Cup
2010 World Match Racing Tour
Yachts
Sail no.Boat name
GBR–75GBR 75

Team Origin was Great Britain's bid to compete in the 33rd and 34th America's Cups. It was launched in January 2007 [1] but stopped running the racing team in 2010. The syndicate was founded by Sir Keith Mills, also known for being the deputy chairman for the organizing committee of the London 2012 Olympic bid. Grant Simmer was the CEO and the team competed under the burgee of the Royal Thames Yacht Club.

Britain's involvement in the America's Cup dates back to the very start when the Aurora was second in the original race won by America in 1851. Britain has unsuccessfully challenged many times since.

Ben Ainslie went on to form Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) in 2012 to compete in the 2017 America's Cup. [2]

History

Sir Keith Mills initially announced his intention to create a team to challenge for the Americas' Cup on 4 January 2007, and announced the decision to appoint Mike Sanderson as Team Director on 29 March 2007. In May of the same year, Team Origin announced it was becoming a partner of the RYA Onboard scheme, which has over 60 centres across the UK. Sanderson commented at the time that he hoped to "raise awareness and participation of the sport.

Less than a month later, it was announced that Team Origin would be partnering the Royal Thames Yacht Club (of which Sir Keith Mills is a member), because of its balance between old and new, tradition and technology, and also its central location in Knightsbridge, London.

After its acquisition of SUI-75 in May 2007, an almost identical boat to SUI-64, which was used by the Swiss to win the 31st Americas' Cup match, all that was missing was the crew, the majority of which were announced in September 2007.

In December 2007 the team announced its intention to scale-back activities in anticipation of legal wrangling causing significant delays to the 33rd Cup's schedule, anticipating that 2009's cup would be delayed by at least 2 years.

Team Origin competed in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in 2009 and were a participant of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. In May 2010 Team Origin appointed Grant Simmer as the team's new CEO, replacing Mike Sanderson.[3]

In August 2010, the Royal Thames Yacht Club and Team Origin hosted BMW Oracle in Cowes to compete in The 1851 Cup. There were 2 trophies to be won. The Royal Thames Cup for a race clockwise around the Isle of Wight which was a re-enactment of the race in 1851 which initiated the Americas Cup which BMW Oracle won. The trophy for the overall 1851 event was The Trafalgar Cup for the match racing series which was won by Team Origin.

In 2010 Ben Ainslie and Team Origin won a Tour Card for the World Match Racing Tour, and despite only entering six of the nine events they won in Sweden, Bermuda and the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia and were crowned ISAF Match Racing World Champions 2010.

In October, it was announced that Mills had scrapped plans to campaign for the 2013 America's Cup, which came as shock to the team. The decision was based on the rule changes for the America's Cup to the boat specifications that meant the team had no chance of winning. [4]

In January 2012, Ben Ainslie announced the foundation of a new team to complete in the 2017 America's Cup, called Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR). [2]

Team Origin Events is still involved in running the America's Cup World Series.[5]

Team Members

Management:

Role Name Nationality
Team Principal Sir Keith Mills United Kingdom GBR
Partner and Investor Charles Dunstone United Kingdom GBR
Team Director Grant Simmer Australia AUS

Boat Crew:

Role Name Nationality
Helmsman Ben Ainslie United Kingdom GBR
Tactician Iain Percy United Kingdom GBR
Strategist and Aft Grinder United Kingdom GBR
Grinder Chris Brittle United Kingdom GBR
Grinder David Carr United Kingdom GBR
Grinder Pawel Bielecki Poland POL
Mastman Julien Cressant France FRA
Bowman Matt Cornwell United Kingdom GBR
Boat Captain Nick Bice Australia AUS

Boats

In May 2007 TEAMORIGIN announced that they had purchased SUI-75, the training and testing boat used by former America's Cup holders Alinghi. It was rebranded GBR-75 during the 32nd America's Cup in Valencia, and sailed in TEAMORIGIN livery for the first time on Saturday 14 July 2007, off Port America, Valencia, Spain.

References

  1. ↑ Team Origin update, Yacht World, January 9, 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 Ainslie defends Oracle cup role, Independent, 11 January 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  3. ↑ Ben Ainslie, Ben Ainslie: losing Mike Sanderson was a change Team Origin had to make, Independent, 21 May 2010. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "Team Origin's plans for America's Cup scrapped by team owner Sir Keith Mills". Telegraph. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  5. ↑ Team Origin Events boss Sir Keith Mills hails ‘amazing’ America’s Cup festival, The News (Portsmouth)
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