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High and dry skipper Chris Dickson is looking forward to being a dad and husband again - and says he'll be cheering for the Kiwis, come America's Cup crunch time.
On Friday morning (Valencia time) Dickson had a coffee with some of his Team New Zealand mates, then called the Herald on Sunday to end the speculation over his high-profile exit from the BMW Oracle syndicate. Billionaire owner Larry Ellison kept Dickson onshore for Oracle's do-or-die sixth race against Luna Rossa on May 20. The team lost.
Four days later, Dickson, 46, resigned as Oracle's chief executive.
International media reports said that Dickson and Ellison clashed, that Dickson was "woefully weak" at the helm and that his management style had been divisive and abrasive.
Dickson, furious at the speculation, insisted that Ellison's move had been "totally expected" and simple logic.
Oracle, with probably the fastest boat and the best-funded team in Valencia, was trailing 4-1 and needed to win to stay in the race to challenge for the America's Cup.
"There were never any surprises," Dickson said. "At four-one down... Larry took the decision to change. And as the owner, that's his prerogative... Rather than work out the final few weeks, it suits me and Larry to move on."
The famously stroppy seaman refused to go into detail about how the drama unfolded.
"It was a normal day, except I wasn't on the boat," he said.
"I spent my time down at the base, at the marina. [After the race] we had a few beers upstairs, I did the press conference for the team and joined them upstairs afterwards."
But the turn in Oracle's fortunes has been a shock.
"Keep in mind that two weeks ago, all was rosy. Everything was perfect, everything was great."
No team had won more races - out of 20 races, Oracle had lost only three.
"Had we beaten China - or Team New Zealand or Spain - we would have been leading, and like Team New Zealand, we might have elected to race the fourth-placed team, leaving Team New Zealand and Prada to fight it out. Maybe we wouldn't now be having this discussion," he said.
Dickson said claims that Oracle had the faster boat were "idle speculation".
"Actually, it was Luna Rossa that gained when the two boats were together and when they were apart." He said Luna Rossa had found another gear.
"They are sailing faster and better than they did previously... I can assure you that we never stepped down, Luna Rossa have stepped up."
It had been along, intensivefive-year cam-paign. Dicksonheaded into itwith a newborn "baby in a bassinet"; last week he was at that same daughter's mini-Olympics day at school. "It's great to be looking ahead to spending more time as a husband and a dad," he said.
Sue, his wife, had "rightfully suggested it was high time" Dickson showed a little more interest in the family's New Zealand farms and property investments that she had been managing. "It's a month or two earlier than we'd hoped...
"I have been looking forward to it for a long time."
The family did not have their flights back to NZ booked yet. Dickson said he was busy tidying up loose ends in Spain but would be happy to get home.
"Always. New Zealand's home, and I'm always pleased to be home...
"I'm a Kiwi, always have been a Kiwi, always will be a Kiwi. Obviously, I wish Team New Zealand the best of luck."
He would not be drawn on whether this had been his last America's Cup campaign.
"It's too early to talk about what I will or won't be doing in the future."
