HAMILTON, Bermuda — The coffee table, fittingly for a modern America’s Cup team headquarters, was made of carbon fiber.
The book on the coffee table was a biography brought by an American visitor: “A Full Cup” by Michael D’Antonio, which recounts the story of Sir Thomas Lipton’s life and quest for yachting’s most prestigious prize.
“I love this book,” Sir Ben Ainslie said, reaching out to touch its cover. “Amazing guy.”
Ainslie, the skipper and team principal of Land Rover BAR, has much in common with Lipton. Both Britons from modest beginnings, they earned knighthoods based on their ability to conquer foreign competition: Ainslie by dominating Olympic sailing regattas, Lipton by dominating the lucrative tea market in the early 20th century.