Why Jimmy Spithill is in limbo ahead of the next America's Cup

Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill. Photo / Jason Oxenham.

Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill admits he's in limbo around his plans for the next America's Cup.

Spithill is in New Zealand to promote his book, Chasing the Cup, My America's Cup Journey, three months following his syndicate's 7-1 America's Cup defeat to Emirates Team New Zealand in Bermuda.

Spithill says until Team New Zealand announce the protocols for the Cup defence next Friday, he can't commit to a Cup challenge.

"Well it all depends on the rules I think," Spithill said when asked by Radio Sport how many syndicates he believes will compete at the next Cup event in 2021.

"I think that's a huge factor of where are the goalposts? Until they know where they are, everyone's in a holding pattern."

As a result, the 38-year-old believed many people from various syndicates were in limbo.

Spithill went on to say that he had high expectations of the 2021 event.

"All I can say is that the bar has been set really high. I think Larry [Ellison] and Russell [Coutts] did an awesome job of Bermuda, and I don't think anyone can debate that.

"I think the fact that, you look at guys like Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, who are good mates of mine, that Youth America's Cup was a launching pad for them.

"In San Francisco, they won the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, the following year, they're winning the real America's Cup. We had guys from the US Youth America's Cup team, and now Russell's been a really big [advocate] for the Endeavour Programme, which is getting kids into sailing without the means, and even now, he's still trying to generate interest in new sailing.

"I think it was one hell of an event, and it will be interesting to see what they come up with."