AN ISLE of Wight born sailor is on the verge of making Island sailing history in the 37th Americas Cup.

Leigh McMillan, who is Britannia's flight controller on board INEOS Britannia, skippered by former Seaview resident, Sir Ben Ainslie, has seen the team take a 6-4 lead in the Louis Vuitton Cup final against much-fancied Italian team, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, in Barcelona yesterday (Wednesday, October 2).

The team secured two consecutive victories against the Italians, meaning Britannia just needs one more race win tomorrow (Friday, October 4), to make the Americas Cup final against the defending champions, Emirates Team New Zealand.

Read more: Deadlock in Louis Vuitton Cup as Ben Ainslie's Brits hits record America’s Cup speed

The British team is now odds-on favourites, holding all the cards over Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, in the first-to-seven series.

Ainslie's crew managed to maintain their lead in both races yesterday, despite challenging conditions.

"It was a great effort from the entire team," said Ainslie.

"It’s very hard to sail these boats on these waves — and it’s difficult to explain to people just how tough it is.

Read more: Popular Isle of Wight 37th Americas Cup sailor Ainslie toasts success

"It’s great to get the two wins. The guys managed the really difficult conditions well, but there’s still plenty of gains to make."

In the first race on Wednesday, INEOS Britannia won with a 23-second advantage.

During the second race, the team extended its lead to 11 seconds and battled well to hold on.

One more win will secure the Brits' place in the final against the defending champions, starting on Saturday, October 12.

The Louis Vuitton Cup final will continue tomorrow with two more races. The action can be watched live on TNT Sports from 1pm.