The first of these will be the Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV) second annual regatta that is taking place in Valencia next week and the second event being the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series to be held in Auckland in January 2009.

 

It followed the news earlier today that, after several months of legal dispute, Alinghi, holders of the America's Cup announced that it would compete in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series early next year.

 

The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, which will be contested by both former and potential America's Cup teams will be staged by Emirates Team New Zealand, the America’s Cup finalists who lost out to Alinghi last year.

 

Sir Keith said: “This is indeed great news for TEAMORIGIN.

 

"After considerable delays and frustrations we finally get to go racing.

 

"Desafio Espanol have kindly offered to lend us one of their AC V5 boats, ESP 88, instead of having to transport our own GBR 75 from the UK, and so the CNEV regatta provides us with an ideal opportunity to get our team back together and get out on the water against some top teams, including Alinghi and Desafio Espanol with possibly a fourth team to be added.”

 

TEAMORIGIN will travel to Valencia early next week and start sailing on ESP 88 on November 5.

 

The CNEV regatta format includes a practice race the following day, then fleet racing on November 7 and 8 and finally match racing on November 9.

 

The team will then have a few week to prepare for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland which is due to start on January 31, 2009. 

 

Mike Sanderson, the team director of TEAMORIGIN, said: “There have been many positive conversations going on over the last few weeks regarding the future of the America ’s Cup event and so it is great news that we can finally announce today that we get to go racing.

 

"The CNEV regatta has come about with very short notice but we have always kept our team together and so it means we are ready to go racing at any time.

 

"I am certainly looking forward to next week’s sailing and also to the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series early next year. It seems like it has been a long time coming."

 

It is a new challenge for Ainslie, who was part of a team alongside Sir Richard Branson that had to abandoned an attempt on setting a new Transatlantic record after heavy waves hit Virgin Money.

 

Ainslie, the skipper and helmsman of TEAMORIGIN, said: “Next week’s regatta in Valencia gives us a prime opportunity to get our team together and go racing against some top teams.

 

"It will certainly sharpen us up and probably throw us in at the deep end, competing against prolific names such as Ed Baird steering for Alinghi and Paul Cayard for Desafio Espanol.

 

"I am raring to go, as are all of the TEAMORIGIN sailing team."