KEY POINTS:
Buying Team New Zealand is an option, says Kiwi Mike Sanderson, team director for the British Challenge Origin.
With sponsorship so competitive and the cost of funding a campaign so steep, it is widely believed that unless Emirates Team New Zealand win the America's Cup, this could be
their last campaign.
Team New Zealand would be an attractive purchase. A new team, like Origin, could pick up two competitive 2007 generation boats and all their design information and then whatever sailors and designers they wish to pursue.
However, Sanderson isn't sure the syndicate will be for sale.
Origin was launched by Sir Keith Mills in January and will participate in the next two America's Cup regattas.
Sanderson, the world sailor of the year and winning round-the-world yacht race skipper, was the team's first appointment.
He is in Valencia trying to soak up as much as possible and looking for potential team members when their contracts expire.
Sanderson has bought Alinghi's SUI75, built for the last cup but never raced. With it he acquired the design plans he believes will give his team an insight into the America's Cup winning Swiss team.
Sanderson said that had Team New Zealand not made the challenger series final, then buying them could have been an option but now he would be surprised to see them fade away.
"Team New Zealand have become such a powerful brand. Alinghi and Luna Rossa have too, but Team New Zealand is the oldest of the three," Sanderson said.
"Whatever happens now, Team New Zealand has put in a strong performance. I can't see them fading away."
Sanderson believes Team New Zealand will go a step further and beat Luna Rossa in the challenger series final and advance to the America's Cup match.
"We saw a more spooked Oracle than a brilliant Luna Rossa," he said of the Italians' 5-1 pounding of Oracle in the semifinals.
"Team New Zealand are really solid. They are sailing well. I think people have been unfairly criticising Deano [Barker]. He is getting every start his weather team wants. He trusts his team around him and is not worried about compromising the start to get the favoured side.
"I also think Team New Zealand have got a klick of speed, they are well led by Dalts [Grant Dalton] and I think that will prevail."
Sanderson said the Origin team would be mostly British. "We are not going to be like Oracle and be predominantly Kiwi. We believe the British deserve to be there. We need some British national pride."