INEOS Team UK helmsman Sir Ben Ainslie has his fingers crossed that Team New Zealand will decide to take the next America's Cup to the United Kingdom.
In a column for The Telegraph, Ainslie argued taking the event from Auckland to the Isle of Wight would be an "incredible opportunity to build on the momentum" of the recently concluded Cup.
"There is only so much I can say as the decision ultimately rests with the defender," Ainslie said.
"All I can say is we would be delighted if New Zealand did want to bring the Cup to Britain.
"[It would] give the country something big to shout about coming out of Covid; give New Zealand the chance to raise commercial revenue; and all the other teams the chance to regroup.
"Ultimately, though, New Zealand are a commercially-driven team. They have to look at all options on the table."
Ainslie was pleased with the new rules of the Cup going forward, with costs being limited to encourage new participants, and the continuation of the AC75 yacht class.
"I would hope to see at least six teams in the next Cup and we should be targeting as many as 10," he said.
"We are committed now to continuing in this exciting AC75 class, and as a sailor I’m pleased about that.
"I think these boats are extraordinary; the scale of them, the speeds they are capable of generating.
"If there is a weak spot it is probably the light air performance. But that’s something we can work on.
"Whether we end up taking weight out of the boat, use a different sail or foil configuration, we should be targeting the boat foiling effectively in six knots."
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