American Magic skipper Terry Hutchinson and the team return to base after losing the 2021 Prada Cup semifinal. Photo / Getty
American Magic skipper Terry Hutchinson and the team return to base after losing the 2021 Prada Cup semifinal. Photo / Getty
American Magic will reluctantly be saying goodbye to Auckland when they shut up shop in the city of sails next month and finally ship their race boats back home.
CEO and skipper Terry Hutchinson has made no secret of the fact he would rather return down under to challenge forthe Auld Mug than head to Barcelona, today announced as the new host city for AC37. While the news of the Barcelona deal didn't come as a surprise, there's still a sense of disappointment.
"It's disappointing to not be back in Auckland, because the way the community treated us and the conditions that we sailed in there. It's a great venue and the history of the America's Cup is very relevant and real there," Hutchinson lamented.
But Hutchinson also sympathises with Team New Zealand who he felt were in a difficult situation over the hosting.
"It's a tough one and I have probably a more unique perspective, having worked hard inside Team New Zealand for three and a half years and been a part of something that was incredible.
"So, from a competitive perspective, I 100 per cent agree with what Dalts (Team NZ boss Grant Dalton) says - you need to have the financial resources to manage the team and to run the team in a way that wins the regatta.
"And yet, I can appreciate the sympathy of wanting to have the event back in Auckland. Unfortunately, we're not in a position to really influence that."
Former Team NZ tactician Terry Hutchinson, now American Magic skipper and CEO, empties a bottle of Moet over Grant Dalton after winning the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup. Photo / Photosport
The American understands the outpouring of outrage in some sectors over the decision to take AC37 to Barcelona, and why some fans would be disillusioned. But he hoped over time those wounds will heal.
"That's logical, and it's understandable. At the same time, given everything that's going on in the world right now, it's hard to not feel at a certain point we should all get on with it, and then go and have a good sailing contest. It's an awesome event to be a part of.
"I can appreciate why people would be a bit disjointed by it. But I hope over the course of time that everybody gets behind the event and supports it because it's the America's Cup - it's a great event."
Ineos Team UK boss Sir Ben Ainslie said Barcelona would be a "fantastic sailing venue", and Hutchinson was also optimistic about the regatta, having sailed in the Catalan capital over the years
"You would expect it to be a little bit windier, a little bit colder air. I would think it's going to be a really good venue to race the regatta and we are not going have to deal with those upper wind limits. But I would suspect it's going to be the fastest boat again which will win the regatta. So our focus is going to be on that."
American Magic skipper Terry Hutchinson and the team return to base after losing the 2021 Prada Cup semifinal. Photo / Getty
American Magic are in the design phase of its AC75. Teams can only build one of the giant foiling monohulls this Cup cycle but Hutchinson says there will be some significant changes to the boats used in Auckland.
"The (class) rule has changed enough that the design competition is stronger than ever. You can see a lot of opportunity when you read the rule. I'm in a week of design meetings right now and you see how the work is going and how the guys are thinking about things. While the boat is still an AC75 there's some subtle but big differences to the rule that will make the boat quite a bit different in the next go around.
"There's a lot of opportunity for all the teams. As a challenger I feel better about our opportunity to race the defender outside of New Zealand than I do inside New Zealand. And yet they're bloody good. So not only do we have Ineos, Luna Rossa and Alinghi to contend with, but they're going to be a strong defender."
Hutchinson is aware of the possibility of at least one more European challenger joining the fray, expected to be from France, and an enlarged challenger series is something he relishes.
"It'll be nice to have more teams and more opportunity to get better and better. We'll have the defender in the round robins until the semifinals and so all the teams will get a little bit of racing."
