The sailor who broke New Zealand hearts in San Francisco is now talking up the country's next America's Cup campaign.
Brilliant Brit Sir Ben Ainslie, who was instrumental in Oracle's gripping victory in 2013, said Team New Zealand's outspoken opposition to rule changes would not stop them mounting a strongchallenge in 2017.
"Team New Zealand have been having a pretty tumultuous time of late and I think there is a lot more going on within that team other than just the issues around the class rule," Ainslie told The Guardian.
"Team New Zealand, like ourselves, are heavily reliant on commercial funding...(but) I'm confident they will be there and be a strong challenger like they have been in the past.
"We supported the shift to smaller boats for two reasons. Firstly the longer-term vision from all the teams was to have continuity in the circuit...the other side was to reduce costs."
Ainslie said Luna Rossa's decision to withdraw from the America's Cup - in protest at the change of class from AC62 to AC45 - was "regrettable". TNZ boss Grant Dalton accused the remaining crews of "self-serving manoeuvring".
Ainslie took over as tactician as the Russell Coutts-led Team Oracle USA, skippered by Aussie Jimmy Spithill, mounted the famous comeback against Dean Barker's boat in 2013. Ainslie heads a new British team for the next America's Cup contest in Bermuda.
