Spithill pledges virtual thrashing for Kiwis

Jimmy Spithill is remaining coy about whether Dean Barker is the right man to lead New Zealand's next America's Cup challenge and is uncertain if the country should change its flag.

With the next Cup in 2017, Spithill stayed out of any debate on whether he thought Barker was the best man to lead Emirates Team New Zealand.

"Mate, that's not up for me to decide. There's a board in place and the board's made a decision to run with the same guys."

The Oracle skipper said he last caught up with Barker at a press conference in Britain last month but admitted they had little to share outside their official duties.

"The last time we really saw each other was at the press conference in London but then we do have all the teams with the skippers, we get together on call and we are all working pretty proactively to try and make this next one the best one yet.

"But we don't do too many social calls, to be honest."

Spithill is looking forward to getting back to New Zealand, where he owns properties.

He tries to return as often as he can to fish and hunt.

Known not only for his yachting prowess but his ability to get under the collective skins of Kiwis, Spithill couldn't resist a further dig when asked about the debate on whether the New Zealand flag should be changed because it looked too like the Australian one.

"I thought you guys would be happy that it looks similar to the Australian flag," he said.

"But on a serious note, I would say I would back the Diggers for sure. Those guys they sacrificed a lot and they fought under that [flag] and as a term of respect I would go with what those guys fought for."

But in true form, he's clear he is keen to dish out a thrashing to whoever takes him on in a Vodafone virtual gaming event in which contenders use smartphones or tablets to sail around the Hauraki Gulf.

The best entrant will take on Spithill for real as they sit side by side in a helicopter armed with Samsung Galaxy Note 4s using Vodafone's 4G network to direct Team Vodafone Sailing's 60-foot trimaran.

Spithill is convinced he will get around the course faster than any New Zealander, despite having not sailed on the Hauraki Gulf competitively since the 2002 America's Cup.

"Whoever wins it, we go up in a chopper ... and the app on our phones is linked to the rudders on the boat and we both get to do a couple of time trials each," said Spithill from his home in California.

"This 60ft trimaran is one of the fastest boats in New Zealand and to be doing it by remote control and flying from a helicopter - it doesn't get much better than that." Staff reporter