Team New Zealand are pushing ahead with the salvage job on their America's Cup preparations.

The inevitable cancellation of the world series regatta in Portsmouth, England because of the coronavirus pandemic is another blow to the defenders who now have their only full-scale boat Te Aihe stuck at sea on a container ship.

It is still heading to Europe and will do an immediate turn around to Auckland but isn't expected back at the team's base until June.

EMIRATES TEAM NZ Getting Te Aihe back to Auckland is now the priority for Team New Zealand.

That will mean five months without the boat after it was packed up at the start of February.

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With the world series regatta in Italy also cancelled, Team New Zealand have lost valuable training and testing opportunities, as well as two chances to see how their first generation of the radical 75-foot foiling monohull stacked up alongside the designs of challengers INEOS Team UK, American Magic and Luna Rossa.

EMIRATES TEAM NZ Team New Zealand will now have to rely on smaller test boat Te Kahu to help provide the answers for their next AC75 design.

The Kiwis appear most disadvantaged at the moment although all teams have problems to work through amid the global health crisis and internal issues.

The British have had to abandon their Italian training base in Italy to relocate home. American Magic are in transition from their winter base in Florida back to Rhode Island though they will surely be looking at an early departure to Auckland if and when travel restrictions lift. Luna Rossa remain in Calgliari but have their boat being repaired after the bowsprit and a section of the bow itself were ripped off the hull in the second training disaster following their dismasting in late January.

There is also talk of the Luna Rossa management being severely overhauled as team principal Patrizio Bertelli deals with the economic fallout of the global health crisis to his Prada empire.

Time is the commodity no money can buy in this expensive game and Team New Zealand are now forced to soldier on with the development of their second boat – the one to be used to defend the America's Cup next March – coming via their smaller scaled test boat and the simulator.

Sources tell Stuff they are delighted with the data coming off that test boat as they push on with the design and build of their next AC75.

And, under unprecedented circumstances, the Kiwis are equally satisfied to base the rest of their training on the familiar waters of Auckland, looking to boost their familiarity with the race courses to be used for the competition proper.

Emirates Team NZ The America's Cup defenders are doing all they can to stay clear of the coronarivus.

They have also brushed off concerns about having to train at home during the winter months – again, presuming they will be allowed to – believing there will be enough fair weather days to benefit them.

Team New Zealand feel, even under these stressful conditions, they are further ahead of their last campaign when they successfully challenged for the America's Cup at Bermuda 2017 on basically an 18-month buildup as financial concerns plagued their challenge.

The basis of that preparation was all done at home, largely via the simulator, with Team New Zealand only turning up at Bermuda at the last minute to confound their opponents with their stunning cycle-powered catamaran.

And Auckland could yet be a benefactor of the European cancellations.

The only world series regatta is now set for December 17-20 in Auckland though the teams could add an additional one if they are wanting more racing in the new 75-foot foiling monohulls that haven't been put up against each other yet.

The Prada Cup challenger series is set for January 15 to February 22. The winner of that will go on to meet Team New Zealand in the America's Cup match scheduled for March 6-15.

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