ESC Sailor Ben Cornish Selected as GB1 America's Cup Helm
Published 10:21 on 13 May 2026
Exe Sailing Club is delighted to celebrate one of our own, with club member Ben Cornish selected as one of just two helms for Britain's GB1 campaign at the opening Preliminary Regatta of the 38th America's Cup in Cagliari, Sardinia later this month. He will helm alongside Olympic gold medallist Dylan Fletcher as Britain takes on the world's best in the spectacular foiling AC40 class.
For those who have watched Ben's sailing journey from Exmouth, this is a proud moment though perhaps not a surprising one.
Ben learnt to sail here at Exe Sailing Club from the age of eight, first racing Mirror dinghies on the Exe Estuary before progressing through the National Junior Squad and becoming Under-16 National Champion. He then moved into the Laser class, representing Great Britain at three consecutive world championships, before stepping up into the demanding Finn class as part of the British Sailing Team.
In the Finn fleet Ben quickly established himself as one of Britain's leading heavyweights, winning back-to-back British National titles and taking victory at the prestigious Finn World Cup Final in Santander a result that briefly saw him ranked among the very best Finn sailors in the world.
When the Finn was dropped from the Olympic programme, Ben made the leap into the America's Cup world, initially joining Sir Ben Ainslie's British challenge ahead of the 2021 campaign in New Zealand. Since then, he has become an increasingly versatile and highly valued member of the British Cup effort, earning a reputation as the team's "Swiss Army knife" equally capable as a helm, trimmer and development sailor. This latest selection marks his third consecutive America's Cup campaign and his biggest on-water leadership role yet.
For everyone at ESC, Ben's success is a reminder of what can begin on our stretch of the Exe. From club racing and junior training here in Exmouth to the very highest stage in world sailing, Ben continues to inspire the next generation of ESC sailors.
We wish him every success as he takes the helm for Britain in Sardinia and we'll all be cheering him on.
You can find out more about the GB1 challenge here: https://www.gb1.com/
Last updated 10:35 on 13 May 2026