BBC lands America's Cup deal

The BBC will closely follow Wight Lightning's progress

The BBC will track Britain's first America's Cup contender for 15 years after winning the exclusive terrestrial rights to the race.

Wight Lightning, the British challenger, was officially unveiled on Friday by HRH Princess Anne.

And the BBC will now follow the crew's progress, under skipper Ian Walker, as they set sail to Auckland in June and then compete in the Louis Vuitton Cup.

The winners of that event will be given the chance to challenge holders Team New Zealand for the America's Cup.

Races will be screened live on BBC Television as well as highlights programmes, with coverage on BBC Radio too.

And BBC Sport Online will keep sailing fans happy with comprehensive analysis and interaction on every aspect of the event.

Together we can take sailing onto a new level, to further emphasise that this is an exciting sport, accessible to all

Peter Harrison

Wight Lightning's bid for a first ever America's Cup victory is beind funded by multi-millionaire Peter Harrison.

Harrison said: "The BBC has already provided great support of our sport.

"Together we can take sailing onto a new level, to further emphasise that this is an exciting sport, accessible to all."

Andrew Thompson, head of new media, sport news and development, hailed the event as having "all the potential to be a great British sporting moment" in the wake of the British Olympic team and Ellen Macarthur's recent efforts.

"For BBC Sport, it is an opportunity to develop truly innovative coverage and capture the glamour and excitement of one of the great sporting events," said Thompson.

"Only the BBC can offer the breadth of resources to best cover this pinnacle of sailing."