Jemima Lines has described her achievement as a turning point for the sport after becoming the first British woman selected for an America's Cup team in nine decades.

The 29-year-old sailor earned a spot on the GB1 crew for next year's contest, marking the initial edition in the event's 175-year history that mandates at least one female member in every five-person team.

Phyllis Sopwith was the previous British woman to compete on a British America's Cup challenger, with appearances in 1934 and 1937.

"This has been a long time in the making," Lines told BBC Sport.

"It feels remarkable, such a historic occasion and truly thrilling. I believe this represents a key shift for our sport.

"It really is a great privilege and somewhat dreamlike. If someone had predicted this during my childhood, I would not have accepted it."

Lines previously competed as a kitefoiler with the British Sailing Team and served as Team GB's reserve for gold medalist Ellie Aldridge at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

She holds a mechanical engineering degree and has experience as a guide at Everest basecamp, climbed major peaks and established altitude kite surfing marks.

Her adventurous spirit stems from her late father, Ralph Crathorne, a former British special forces soldier who passed away in an incident on Ben Nevis earlier this year.

When asked how he would view her GB1 selection, Lines said: "He would be thrilled, as he was a true icon and remarkable explorer.

"Every activity I pursued, we shared as a family and that path brought me here. He guided me toward this."

The 38th America's Cup is scheduled for Naples, Italy, in 2027, with competition starting in May and the decisive Match set for 10-11 July.

Drawing on her engineering expertise, Lines will contribute to the design group and assist in creating equipment for the GB1 crew on the AC75.

She teams up with Bleddyn Mon, Dylan Fletcher, Ben Cornish and Andrea Tesei on the GB1 roster.

"The excitement builds strongly for this event and all I can note is that joining this group brings a real energy," Lines said.

"It stands as a hub of experts, from the sailors to all staff. There is constant motivation with no idle time.

"The overall squad performs at a high level and I prefer not to reveal too much.

"It begins as a design effort, followed by water testing and that leads to the thrill as the contest has already launched with more ahead."