New Zealand will be without driver Peter Burling when they take to the water to contest the Australian leg of the SailGP series this weekend.
Burling will be home in New Zealand with his wife, as she prepares to give birth to their first child. Veteran Nathan Outteridge will step in as his replacement in Australia.
"While I'd love to be racing - staying home for such an important milestone for me and my family is an obvious decision,'' Burling said.
"We'll be supporting the team from across the Tasman this weekend and can't wait to get back out there in front of our fans, friends, and family next month in Christchurch.
"We're incredibly fortunate to have someone of Nathan's calibre able to join us - he's one of the best, and we know he'll slot right in.''
Burling is expected to rejoin the crew in time for the NZ Sail Grand Prix in Christchurch on March 23-24.
Outteridge is familiar with many of the crew aboard the F50 Amokura from his time with Team New Zealand during their America's Cup defence back in 2021.
He's also experienced in the Sail GP format, helping steer Japan to two season finals.
New Zealand currently sit second overall behind Australia, after back-to-back wins in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
