Future employment can be a distraction for America's Cup teams around this time.
Now that the Louis Vuitton Cup final and the Cup match is close, people are understandably beginning to think about their next job - whether it is another cup campaign, a position on the TP52circuit or the round-the-world race. In terms of the America's Cup it has been suggested key New Zealanders in Alinghi will move on after this cup, which means that the syndicate may be in the market.
BMW Oracle Racing boss Larry Ellison has said they will compete in the next cup while Luna Rossa and Desafio Espanol have also expressed some interest in continuing if the cup stays in Europe.
Representatives from the new British team Origin, including managing director Kiwi Mike Sanderson, have also been in Valencia. The future of Team New Zealand is a little more uncertain. At this stage I am not sure managing director Grant Dalton can offer his people anything.
We all remember the 2000 defence where there was a mass exodus of team members and intellectual property. Team New Zealand have plenty of people their rivals would be eyeing up. It can be very distracting for the team. They have one eye on the racing and one on their next role.
You have to sympathise with them. Many have families and need to have a job. You can't blame them for considering offers or making a few inquiries.
It is very hard for teams to do anything about it. They will be concerned that there is a risk that in a few weeks' time a whole lot of knowledge will walk out the door. There is a bit of a grey area as to what is yours and what isn't. I am sure the teams have within their employment contracts intellectual property clauses and personnel guarantees.
However, personal knowledge is a little more difficult to control. I guess all that teams can do is appeal to the integrity of their own team members until after the cup.
But life goes on. You can't have a restraint of trade in this game when what people are selling is their expertise as sailors, designers, technicians or boat builders.
