Sir Ben Ainslie was told that INEOS chair Sir Jim Ratcliffe would “burn your house down” in a row over funding for America’s Cup campaigns, UK High Court documents reveal.
As previously reported on Afloat.ie, Sir Jim has launched legal action to claim the Britannia, the £180m yacht used by Sir Ben in his second INEOS-backed America’s Cup campaign in 2024.
Relations between the British sailing great and the billionaire industrialist deteriorated after that losing challenge, with the two parting ways in January 2025.
Sir Ben’s team has rejected the INEOS claim, stating that ownership rests with his Athena Racing — since rebranded as GB1 for its 2027 America’s Cup campaign.
Now the Independent reports on court documents seen by the Press Association, in which lawyers for INEOS claim that Sir Ben’s side was required to hand back any “INEOS-funded assets” in the wake of their split — including the Britannia — claiming a breach of contract “valued at £10 million or more”.
In response, barristers for Athena claimed INEOS had “unclean hands” and accused the company of “reprehensible and improper” conduct.
This includes the claim that INEOS Sport Rob Nevin told Sir Ben before the start of the 2024 cup that, for Sir Jim to fund future campaigns for Athena, it would have to transfer all its assets to INEOS.
“This is what Jim wants. We have a phrase at INEOS: scorched earth. It means that if you don’t give Jim what he wants, he will burn your house down’, or words to that effect,” Nevin is alleged to have said.
The Independent has much more on the story HERE.
