Northlander Mike Sanderson, who helped to found Team Origin, has left the British America's Cup yachting syndicate.
The announcement of his surprising departure comes ahead of the latest Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta, which begins off the Italian island of La Maddalena tomorrow.
A brief statement on the Team Origin website said the
2006 Northland Sportsperson of the Year had left as director after team principal Sir Keith Mills decided to restructure the organisation.
"This decision has been taken to ensure that the team functions as effectively and efficiently as possible, in order to improve the team's performance and ultimately win the America's Cup," it said.
Team Origin thanked Sanderson for his "huge contribution".
Last week, Team Origin finished a disappointing fifth equal in an 11-strong fleet in the opening regatta of the MedCup series, a fleet racing competition sailed in TP52s. Team New Zealand, the defending MedCup champions, won the season-opener in Portugal.
Team Origin also failed to feature in the first two LV Trophy match racing events, finishing fourth and sixth, and they were fifth in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland early last year.
Team Origin were founded three years ago and Sanderson sailed as a member of the crew. He been part of three previous America's Cup campaigns, including Team NZ's successful defence in 2000. NZPA
