A HAMPSHIRe marina firm is helping Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR racing team in their bid to Bring back the America's Cup from Bermuda.

MDL Marinas, which has its HQ in Hamble, has created customised pontoons, designed to give swift access for the team and accommodate the crucial support boats.

The 115m pontoon has the ability to rotate 90 degrees, which will allow Land Rover BAR to berth the boat in all wind directions and stay attached to the shore, instead of having to have the boat on a swing mooring.

The 35 tonne pontoon was constructed in Southampton and has travelled 3,400 miles to reach Bermuda, where it is now undergoing trial as part of the team’s training programme.

Adrien Burnand, head of marketing at MDL Marinas, commented: “Open sea racing is unpredictable and fast paced, so implementing equipment which saves even a second can make all the difference."

James Stagg, Shore Team Manager, at Land Rover BAR, added: “The America’s Cup is all about looking at advances in technology to help gain a competitive advantage.

We wanted to see if we could create a pivoting pontoon to enable us to berth the race boat in any wind direction to reduce boat loading times, so we came together with MDL Marinas to put this concept into motion. Together we’ve designed and built a tool which is tailored to the team’s racing needs and the finished product looks fantastic. It will all come down to the race days but it’s been brilliant partnering with MDL Marinas on this element of the campaign.”