The design grab is all part of the America's Cup deal.
Team New Zealand's Te Rehutai AC75 has already come under close scrutiny from America's Cup rivals. Photo / Michael Craig
American Magic CEO/skipper Terry Hutchinson has already said his team will "grab on to a couple of (ideas) that we can implement into our own sails or techniques".
The Prada Cup will not only decide who gets to challenge TNZ for the America's Cup, but give that challenger invaluable racing time advantage over TNZ.
Hutchinson said it was not in the challengers' interests to allow TNZ to take part in any practice racing before the Prada Cup, but "if the decision was made that it's all or nothing, that everyone has to be included, we would consider any reasonable offer".
Team New Zealand will be desperate to take part in any practice events and allowing them to be involved might smooth the way for the sessions to happen.
Race director Iain Murray had penciled in Thursday and Friday, plus two days next week, as potential practice dates. This would also help the race committee fine tune its operation.
If trial racing did take place before the Prada Cup, it would reveal whether the struggling British team had come up with any design miracles to save their campaign.
Team INEOS had a disastrous pre-Christmas regatta, with an embarrassing performance in light winds.
But Hutchinson refused to rule them out, pointing to the Olympic gold medal class of its principals Sir Ben Ainslie and Giles Scott.
"It's a three horse race without question," he told NZME.
"It would be an absolute mistake to think otherwise. Of the three teams they have the highest gain rate potential.
"That makes a good group of people incredibly dangerous."
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