America's Cup: No place for Team New Zealand on Auld Mug

Peter Burling holds up the America's Cup trophy. Photosport

Team New Zealand has a dilemma - there is not enough room to engrave this year's America's Cup victory over Oracle on the Auld Mug.

In 2003 and 2007, a Swiss engraver etched the results of Alinghi's Cup wins on to the trophy in a bigger font than any before, leaving no room for future winners, reports newsroom.co.nz.

Every cup race since 1851 is recorded on the trophy.

Two extra silver tiers were added to the bottom of the Cup in 1958 and 1992 to allow for more engraving. But thanks to Alinghi's outsized inscriptions, there's no more space to record the nine races of the 2017 America's Cup.

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron is considering re-engraving the bottom section, to match the original font on the rest of the Cup. But before that is done, previous winners of the trophy will be asked if they agree with the idea, or would like to suggest an alternative.

Squadron commodore Steve Mair said adding another section would not be sustainable.

"After a certain period of time, you can't have it 20 feet tall," says Mair. The Cup has already grown to 1.1m high and weighs over 14kg.

"We have to figure out a way to future-proof it."

If the Squadron re-engraves the bottom section of the Cup, it will be removed from the upper trophy, and "hand delivered" to Garrard & Co, the former crown jeweller in London, which made the trophy in 1848.

In 1997 the RNZYS sent the Cup to Garrard & Co for repairs after a hammer attack by Benjamin Nathan.

The Cup will tour the country's yacht clubs, starting in October.