Barker is desperate to set up base in Auckland as soon as possible but knows it could be some time before he can return home. VIDEO / Emirates Team NZ / Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team / American Magic
Within the next few months, an accommodation will need to be made for America's Cup Challenger teams to enter New Zealand in late August and begin their preparations for the Prada Cup, due to get underway in mid-January 2021.
With a base in an advanced state of completion in Auckland,one AC75 returning from Italy and the second boat under construction in southern England, INEOS Team UK is the most advanced of the four challengers.
"Those are not the easiest questions to answer right now," he added.
Quarantine restrictions are expected, and if required, should be very workable in the Auckland context for the teams. Fans may be a different story, with the option of a "closed stadium" televised event broadcast to a large international audience on a free to view basis.
After setting up a winter training base in Cagliari, Sardinia, the plan was for the British team to train for four months before competing in the America's Cup World Series in Sardina.
But the appearance of the coronavirus, first in northern Italy and then spreading down the Italian peninsular and across Sardinia, caused the first ACWS regatta to be called off, and the British team flew back to the UK earlier this month.
Team INEOS UK, the British Americas Cup team, skippered by Sir Ben Ainslie. Photo / Lloyd images.
Currently, the team is working in a Stage 3 lockdown in the UK, which means that construction of the second AC75 is proceeding, but otherwise, the team have to work from their homes, where possible. The intention is to finish the raceboat in the UK and then ship it to Auckland.
"We don't have the answers to a lot of questions right now, but we've got a great team, and we're doing whatever we can to keep our people safe and come up with the right solutions," said Ainslie, the winner of five Olympic sailing medals.
"I've had some conversations with Grant Dalton," Ainslie said. "As you'd expect he is doing everything he can to support the event, and certainly the America's Cup final
"It really depends on how long this situation lasts and how open the New Zealand Government are to opening up borders, and allowing America's Cup teams into the country to operate for seven months.
"One would hope that the teams could put their competitive aspirations aside and come together on this one so that we can find the right solutions for everyone, and get a decent competition going next summer for New Zealand."
Ainslie says the original plan was for the team to be in Auckland and sailing in September, but he thinks that might have slipped as a result of the lockdowns they have experienced in Italy, the UK, and now New Zealand. "But hopefully, we can still make that target," he adds.
Previously Ainslie admitted that of all the first launched AC75s, he had a hankering for Luna Rossa's design concept. "I think there were some moments when they were sailing very well," he said having now seen the Italians firsthand in Cagliari.
"When you watch these first generation AC75s sail, the big question is whether they are foiling on autopilot, or are they sailing on manual flight control. That is one of the first things you have to work out before you try to evaluate a competitor's performance in terms of controllability of the boat and other factors.
"All of the teams have been quite impressive at times. Certainly, that is the way it appears from the reconnaissance and videos.
Ben Ainslie. Photo / supplied.
"If the teams can achieve those performances under manual race trim, then we will have some impressive racing."
Reminded again of his declared soft spot for the Luna Rossa hull shape, Ainslie says he's also impressed with the first New Zealand design. He puts both teams' perceived advantage down to "having slightly more access as to where the Class rule was heading earlier than the rest of us.
"They both use the bustle line in the centre of the boat to help with the acceleration phase and touch down during manoeuvres. I think it is quite a neat solution.
"There are some fine details on the Italian boat which are quite innovative."
Maybe that is code for a shift to a more conventional skiff-like hull. Ainslie laughs when asked for confirmation. "It's obviously going to be different - going and building the same thing again wouldn't be that smart. I can't say too much now, but it's certainly different from the first boat."
"There's been a lot of comment about the teams coming together from their different design approaches that we've seen on the first AC75's. I think that is a fair observation.
"The rig and foils and overall efficiency of the systems are going to be a big part of it as well. There is a lot that goes into the overall performance of the design.
"Hopefully, we will get the chance to line these boats up," he says ruefully, as Auckland beckons. "That's our focus now."
Given the two cancelled ACWS regattas and the international lockdowns, Ainslie says every team will be hard-pushed to get up to speed by January, even February.
"Probably we should be looking at delaying or cancelling the Christmas Race, in mid-December, and potentially even shortening up the Challenger Series, to give everyone more time to get their programs in order, and safely get to New Zealand.
"As a group of teams, we have to come together in the next couple of weeks and have some honest conversations about what is practical, and how we can make this work."
