America's Cup: 'Decisions made now key to winning', Team New Zealand's Kevin Shoebridge says

Teams can launch a full-scale AC75 later this month. Image / Supplied

"The big decisions are now."

That's the message out of Emirates Team New Zealand's camp as preparations toward the 36th America's Cup ramp up.

With the event just two years away, the teams are well into getting themselves in shape to compete in two years' time as they edge closer to being able to put a full-scale boat on the water.

"Historically, when you look back on who has won any America's Cup, it is often decisions that have been made two years to 18 months previous that are the key to what your performance will be at the end when it matters," Team New Zealand chief operating officer Kevin Shoebridge said.

"A lot of the philosophy and direction that you take is often taken quite early. So, decisions we are making today, decisions we have just made with the design of the first boat could be critical to the outcome of the America's Cup. So, there is no slow ramping up to the big decisions coming later on. The big decisions are now."

While most teams have been getting accustomed to sailing in smaller scaled foiling monohulls, they'll be able to launch their first full size AC75 vessel on March 31.

INEOS Team UK skipper Ben Ainslie believed that while having a smaller vessel to test on the water first was a nice warm up, the full-sized 75-foot vessel would be a different beast altogether.

"The real scale 75-footer will be a big step up for all of the teams," Ainslie said.

"And then we go through a race circuit around the world and then into New Zealand in 2020 and into the Cup itself. Throughout all of that we have to bring new components online, and to try to really make sure they hit their deadlines so we can have our training and development schedule running as we want it. That's probably our biggest challenge and then making sure we are absolutely maximising development times and opportunities that we have."

The 36th America's Cup will be held in Auckland in March 2021.