Britain’s Sir Ben Ainslie could allow himself only a brief moment to celebrate clearing another hurdle on the track to winning the America’s Cup as it was confirmed that his British challenge through the Royal Yacht Squadron had been accepted, along with Italy, Sweden, France, and New Zealand.

A British double Olympic gold medallist stood proudly with the America’s Cup in the capital of Sweden on Tuesday vowing to throw everything into bringing the “auld mug” to Scandinavia and to ensure a growing Swedish input.

Walker completed the Britain and Ireland race in 4 days, 13 hours, 10 minutes and 28 seconds to take victory

Musandam-Oman Sail 's three days, three hours, 32 minutes and 36 seconds time has shaved almost 17 minutes from the previous 75 hours plus benchmark

Racing down the west coast of Ireland, the six of Oman’s best were still on target to break Loick Peyron's record for racing non-stop in the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race and his giant Banque Populaire was twice the length of Sidney Gavignet’s Musandam-Oman Sail.

Sidney Gavignet and the crew of the 70-foot trimaran Oman Sail-Musandam have set a storming pace in the delayed Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race, covering over 600 miles in 24 hours and having rounded the turning point of Outer Stack, Muckle Flugga and heading south outside Ireland.

Giles Scott’s domination of the Olympic Finn class singlehander delivered Britain’s only gold medal for the British sailing team, but three silver and four bronze medals were added to the overall British tally at the Aquece Rio International Regatta on the Guanabara Bay 2016 Olympic sailing venue in Brazil.

Not even a number of teams disclosed as organisers release statement saying they're on to the second stage of the entry process

With typical bravura style, the Kiwis became the first to make a formal announcement that it will again challenge for the America’s Cup, date in 2017 to be announced, venue to be announced.

“They won’t like it,” said the veteran Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

It started with a bobble, needed a major comeback in the semi-finals, squeaked into the final on the last 50 metres of the deciding fifth race, and then Ian Williams went on to lift the Polish match racing championship in Sopot. Williams has won the world championship four times and wants it back for what would be a record fifth time and, if at times things seemed to be running against him, the gods were on his side when it mattered, even to cutting short his final against Mathieu Richard of France. The clock came to his aid when he was 2-1 up in the best of five and the celebrations could begin.

Williams saw off the challenge from local hero Karol Jablonski

A steady as she goes meeting of four of the possible five challengers with the America’s Cup defender has decided in London to demand much more talking and to include long-term planning along with arrangements for the next event, scheduled for 2017.

While Sir Ben Ainslie leads his team into another round of talks in London on Tuesday the door has been closed firmly in the faces of his old friends from New Zealand.

The carte blanche given to Oracle director Sir Russell Coutts to negotiate with both Bermuda and San Diego should come as a welcome development to the America’s Cup Event Authority