Why Sir Ben Ainslie hopes he doesn't need to echo Chelsea skipper John Terry during the America's Cup

Sir Ben Ainslie might be a huge Chelsea fan but Britain’s greatest ever sailor hopes he doesn’t need to take on a John Terry role in his bid to end Britain’s 166-year wait for an America’s Cup win.

Ainslie is a proven winner having clinched four consecutive Olympic gold medals and was part of Oracle Team USA’s dramatic comeback to lift the cup in 2013 as they overturned an 8-1 deficit to triumph 9-8 in San Francisco.

His twelve year gold rush came as a solo sailor in Finn and Laser classes but the America’s Cup will see him lead his own Land Rover BAR team in the crystal clear waters of Bermuda against his former team-mates.

Terry has been dubbed captain, leader, legend by Chelsea supporters and is known for his passionate vocal style and desire to win at all costs after a long career that is entering its final chapter at Stamford Bridge.

READ MORE: America’s Cup 2017: Where can I watch it, what time does it start?

But self-confessed Blues supporter Ainslie hopes he will not need to draw too deeply on Terry’s outspoken leadership style in his quest to make history as he is hoping his carefully-assembled team give him no reason to lay the law down.

“The key is to get good people in the team and good personalities,” Ainslie told Yahoo Sport at the Land Rover BAR team base at the Royal Navy Dockyard in Bermuda.

“You need to give them responsibilities in their roles. As a leader, it’s when things aren’t going well that you need to stand up and say something and try to sort out issues. That is how I try to lead the team.

“There’s been a couple of times where I’ve had to raise my voice but the less I do that, the better. Normally, a quiet boat means a happy boat and a fast boat because everyone is just getting on with their jobs.

“Ideally you don’t have to be (a John Terry) but if something’s not quite right then that’s the responsibility of a leader. You’ve got to find out what the issue is and sort it out.

“The America’s Cup is the ultimate team sport because you’ve got the sailors out on the water working together to get the best out of the equipment and then you’ve got designers and boat builders back on the shore who are constantly trying to tinker and improve the performance.

“Communication needs to be spot on and our success will be defined by the team rather than by individuals. The Olympic sport I took part in was individual. I had a great support team but when I was out there racing I had to make those decisions on my own and get on with it.”

One member of Ainslie’s team, grinder David ‘Freddie’ Carr, echoed the thoughts of the skipper and confirmed he has not had to suffer from too much earache under the command of the Olympic legend.

“Ben is remarkably calm and quiet,” he said. “Everyone had this perception of a skipper as someone who stands and the back of the boat barking out orders to the guys in front of them.

“Ben has a transitional moment where he steps out of the boat and onto the dock and his focus and drive to win is like nothing else. He will do everything he can, in an encouraging way, to get the best out of you.

“You don’t win four Olympic gold medals by being rubbish. He sailed single-handedly and to be able to translate that into the America’s Cup arena has been pretty impressive.”

READ MORE: Where to watch the America’s Cup in Bermuda

The America’s Cup was first staged in 1851 off the Isle of Wight but has never returned to British waters, making it the longest drought in the history of international sport.

Land Rover BAR have £90million worth of backing behind them in an attempt to wrestle the trophy away from American hands but must first make it through the Louis Vuitton Cup qualifiers later this month for the right to take on the holders.

Should Ainslie’s British team beat off competition from boats hailing from New Zealand, Sweden, Japan and France then a showdown with the Oracle crew awaits between 17 and 27 June.

As Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series champions, Land Rover BAR head into the qualifiers with a two-point head-start over the remaining challengers. The team begins its challenge for the America’s Cup on Friday 26 May against Artemis Racing of Sweden.

Land Rover BAR is a commercial sporting team, with a number of individual private investors alongside corporate partners. The team is made up of some of the best British and international sailors, designers, builders and racing support.