Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR suffered a shock defeat at the hands of an increasingly confident Groupama Team France on Monday in the America's Cup qualifiers in Bermuda. It was the fourth loss for the British crew and the second victory for underdogs Groupama Team France, who won their first race of the contest on Sunday, beating Sweden's Artemis Racing. Ainslie dominated the start and looked to have a commanding lead over the French crew, one of five challengers seeking to take on Oracle Team USA in the final next month. But the French kept up the pressure on their British opponents and a poorly-executed maneuver by Ainslie's crew allowed French skipper Franck Cammas to come from behind and maintain his momentum on the next leg to build a lead. The 50-foot (15 meter) foiling catamarans were neck and neck for much of the next leg, but Ainslie's team lost ground at another key moment as their boat came off its foils, allowing Cammas and his crew to gain a lead. "Come on guys, let's go," Ainslie could be heard saying as he tried to get more from his crew and his high-tech boat. "Keep working," Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor and a master of match racing, added. But the French team kept their cool and delivered the speed and stability that was notably absent from their first races, allowing them to build on their advantage. Groupama Team France finished the race 53 seconds ahead of Land Rover BAR, giving themselves a significant boost in their quest to get through the qualifying round. Each team races the other twice in the head-to-head match race format, with a point for the winner. The challenger with the fewest points at the end of the qualifiers will not go through to the next semifinal round. — Reuters
