Land-based activities at Louis Vuitton ACWS Portsmouth Race Village

The Race Village at Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Portsmouth © Ian Roman

The fun isn't just on the water during the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Portsmouth from the 22nd-24th July. The Race Village offers interactive and exciting fun for all ages with a variety of exhibitors.

BMW, Global Partner of America's Cup, is excited to be able to offer all Race Village ticketholders over the age of eight the chance to try to hand at Blokart land sailing. Thanks to their unique design Blokarts offer incredible speeds, yet even a novice can be safely up and away virtually instantly!

See the fastest boats up close in the BT Sport 100% Sport TechZone. This exciting new addition to the Race Village offers spectators the opportunity to meet America's Cup experts and get the inside information on how these state of the art speed machines fly on the water and reach speeds of over 50mph. Land Rover BAR will be bringing their AC45 race boat and 3D sailing simulator allowing visitors to immerse themselves in the America's Cup world.

The Royal Navy's 40-foot climbing wall and Offshore Raiding Craft guarantee fun for children of all ages. Plus for those who want to relax and watch the racing, there's a giant TV screen and deckchairs. Royal Navy careers advisors and the Royal Navy Sailing Association will also be on hand to offer advice.

Top Banana Circus will also be on hand to provide you with some totally different ways to have fun! Whether it's juggling, walking the tightwire or performing an amazing trick, you'll learn something new and have a great time doing it. The friendly team of workshop leaders and assistants will ensure everyone receives plenty of coaching to learn some fab new skills.

The RNLI will be providing safety advice to all members of the public with fun and engaging activities for younger audiences. They will also be raising the vital funds needed to deliver their lifesaving service and looking for new volunteers to fulfil a variety of roles. Plus, take a look at one of their smaller lifeboats and watch incredible demonstrations alongside the Coastguard.

You too can experience the thrill of being part of team Land Rover BAR!

To show their appreciation of all the support they receive, Land Rover BAR are offering one lucky Race Village ticket holder the opportunity to experience a day in the life of Land Rover BAR. Find out more here: www.lvacwsportsmouth.com/news

Don't just expect the action to be on the water and the land! As the sailing teams fly over the water, up in the sky there are fantastic aerial displays every day. Featuring the Red Arrows on Friday, the Blades Aerobatic Team on Saturday and the Red Bull Matadors on Sunday, displays will take place from 12pm each day.

For details on all the entertainment listed and to buy your tickets, visit: www.lvacwsportsmouth.com

The stage set for a spectacular weekend

There is just one day to go until the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series (LVACWS) begins in Portsmouth and the excitement has been building both on land in the Race Village and on the water.

Early this morning (Thursday) the team of fully trained Airbus Wavemaker volunteers wearing their distinctive blue t-shirts and caps were welcomed to the event. The group of 350 volunteers have been recruited to enhance the experience of visitors to the event with local knowledge and information about what is on offer. Look out for their distinctive blue t-shirts and caps over the weekend in and around the Race Village.

More than 200 children visited the Race Village with the 1851 Trust for a day of games, challenges and activities. The children from the local community were invited to spend the day at the event as part of the charity's drive to enable young people from a variety of backgrounds to engage with sailing and the marine industry. The children enjoyed making boats out of recyclable items, gutter boat racing and using interactive equipment to learn more about the technology behind sailing.

The event also welcomed the six teams of elite sailors competing in the World Series and saw the AC45 catamarans ('speed machines') craned into the Solent ahead of the practise racing tomorrow (Friday), with the teams enjoying practise sessions in the glorious sunshine.

The skippers from each team attended a press conference packed with media from across the globe to offer an insight into their preparation and tactics ahead of the races. Sir Ben Ainslie was greeted by a spontaneous round of applause due to the announcement earlier in the day of the arrival of his first child, a baby girl called Bellatrix.

Sir Ben, Principal of Britain's Land Rover BAR team and challenger for the America's Cup explained how important the support of the home crowds attending the event over the weekend is: "The biggest advantage for us is the home crowd. You can hear them from the water and that's what makes it so special to be racing in Portsmouth."

James Spithill, skipper of the defending Oracle Team USA, added: "We're setting up for a great weekend's racing. Let the best team win!"

Tickets to watch the world's fastest flying boats and the best sailors taking to the water in Portsmouth for the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Portsmouth 22 – 24th July are available from www.ticketmaster.co.uk/acwsportsmouth

Land Rover BAR launch official app

Land Rover BAR – the British challenger for the 35th America's Cup led by four-time Olympic gold medallist and Cup winner Sir Ben Ainslie – has launched its official app ahead of the Portsmouth event of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series at the weekend.

Download the app here: http://land-rover-bar.americascup.com/en/app.html

The home town action starts on the 22nd July with practice, and culminates with Super Sunday on the 24th July. The app offers exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage of this and every other stage of the team's quest to bring the America's Cup home for the first time since the competition was born on the waters off Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight in 1851.

The first 100 people to download the app and register will go into a prize draw for two tickets to join the team's VIP hospitality on the first day of racing at the America's Cup World Series in Portsmouth – Saturday 23rd July.

Main features:

• Live behind-the-scenes access to the team right through the Louis Vuitton America's Cup qualifiers, challenger play-offs and the 35thAmerica's Cup match in Bermuda 2017.
• Exclusive photos and video of the team on their America's Cup journey.
• Learn about the extraordinary wingsail foiling catamarans that can "fly" with both hulls out of the water at speeds of more than 40mph. Get to know the new breed of super-fit athletes who sail these remarkable boats.
• News and features, including human, technology and sustainability stories; full guide to the America's Cup and its history.
• Keep up to date on all the chat with a dedicated social stream, and put yourself in the crew's shoes in the interactive zone.
• Receive push notifications ahead of and during events, race results and news.
• Help us in our bid to become the most sustainable sports team in the world by Making a Pledge