
Also Ben Ainslie's imminent departure from Team New Zealand to the new English syndicate may not be as certain as first thought.
The Dean Barker back-up helmsman and double Olympic gold medallist was expected to announce the shift within weeks. But Englishman Ainslie obviously has other ideas.
For a start he was spotted this week by the Sunday Star-Times meeting with the chief executive of Luna Rossa, Anthony Romano.
The meeting in a cup village cafe was cordial and business-like.
Only a few hours earlier Romano admitted the game known as America's Cup musical chairs had hit overdrive.
Photo by Mark Mitchell