The line-up for the Selection Series for the Red Bull Youth America's Cup will include 11 national teams, attending the two qualifying sessions in San Francisco from February 9-24.

A British team, the GBR Youth Challenge, has been added to the roster to take the place of the previously invited French Youth Team, who now qualify directly for September's event after gaining support from the French America's Cup World Series entry, Energy Team.

François Gabart crossed the Vendée Globe finish line at 15 hours 18 minutes 40 seconds, French time, setting a new solo round-the-world record of 78 day, 2 hours, 16 minutes and 40 seconds. Beating Michel Desjoyeaux's record by 6 day 00 hours 53 minutes His final race time is 78 days 2 hours 16 minutes 40 seconds. His average speed was 15.3 knots and covering 28,646.55 miles. Note: the race's theoretical distance is 24,393.41 miles.

Ainslie, 35, has decided to call time on his glittering Olympic career to focus on his America's Cup campaign. Ainslie won the Finn class at London 2012 – his fourth gold medal in his fifth Games – but will not defend that title in Rio.

"It fills me with both relief and sadness to write these words but I can now officially confirm that I have donned my Team GB tracksuit for the last time," Ainslie told the Daily Telegraph.

The Santander 2014 World's test which will prove that everything is ready for the biggest event of the Olympic sailing after the Games themselves, will take place from 9 to 15 September 2013.

This was announced during a press conference by the mayor of Santander, Iñigo de la Serna. De la Serna said the test could bring together 500 boats and nearly a thousand sailors. Many of them come to Santander months earlier, in April or May.