Emirates Team NZ and Royal NZ Yacht Squadron have extended the deadline for bids to host the next America's Cup defence, with Auckland making a late run among the candidates.
The current holders of the 'Auld Mug' were due to announce the venue for their next defence, with New Zealand looming as an unlikely option, after they rejected a $99m offer from the Government and Auckland Council.
Instead, Team NZ and RNZYS have cast their net offshore for the most financially lucrative deal, but have delayed their decision, as bidders - tipped to be Cork in Ireland, Valencia in Spain and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia - finalise their submissions.
"For the benefit of both the 37th America's Cup and the eventual host venue, we would rather allow some more time now, so we make the right decision, as opposed to a rushed decision," says squadron commodore Aaron Young.
The cupholders had hoped to visit the potential venues and conduct finalise face-to-face meetings with would-be hosts, but have been grounded by the most recent COVID-19 outbreak in New Zealand.
Closer to home, a bid by Greymouth Petroleum boss Mark Dunphy to keep the defence in Auckland has gathered late momentum, with an official approach in the final 48 hours.
Dunphy has previously offered hope for a homegrown venue, but only if abrasive Team NZ chief executive Grant Dalton resigns, a notion dismissed by other TNZ principals.
"As we have always maintained throughout, however unlikely it seemed, Auckland has never been off the table for obvious reasons," says Dalton. "Now that we finally have an 11th-hour letter from Mr Dunphy, it would be remiss of us not to explore the viability of an Auckland event, and if it, in fact, can be fully and completely funded locally.
"To date, there has been no evidence of this being the case."
