Britain Chooses Switzerland for America's Cup Semi-Finals

Britain has chosen Switzerland as their semi-final opponents for the America's Cup challenger series. Italy will face the United States. The semi-finals will determine who will challenge New Zealand for the America's Cup. The British team's victory in the round robin earned them the choice of opponent. France has been eliminated.

Britain strategically selected Switzerland as their semi-final opponents in the America's Cup challenger series, set to begin this weekend. As a result, Italy will face the United States in another match-up.

The four competing teams are vying for a chance to challenge reigning champions New Zealand for the prestigious America's Cup, known as the "Auld Mug", in Barcelona. The semi-finals require each team to secure five wins to advance to the Louis Vuitton Cup final, where the victor will take on the Kiwis in October.

Ben Ainslie's British crew chose their opponents after clinching victory in a round robin series. "Ultimately, you've just got to make a decision and get on with it and win some races," Ainslie remarked at a press conference. Meanwhile, France has been eliminated from the competition, which features high-speed AC75 foiling mono-hulls.

The U.S. team faces a setback as Paul Goodison, their primary helm, is injured. Tom Slingsby confirmed Lucas Calabrese would fill in and praised his performance. Swiss skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis expressed optimism about the challenge against Britain, citing it as an opportunity to learn from the best.

(With inputs from agencies.)