Team New Zealand is "willing to lend a helping hand" to potential 2021 America's Cup challengers "should they need it," according to Luke Kirkness of the NEW ZEALAND HERALD. The first entry period for the '21 regatta ended Saturday, with three heavily-financed teams opting to line up against Team NZ in Auckland. Challenger of record Luna Rossa, Ben Ainslie's INEOS Team UK and the N.Y. Yacht Club "have left a choppy wake for smaller teams to follow." Earlier this year, British sailor Ben Ainslie announced his next campaign received a "significant boost" of NZ$217M ($147M). Team NZ Managing Dir Grant Dalton said that he was "shocked by Ainslie's backing" and added that "other teams struggle to see how they can compete." Dalton: "About four of the smaller teams are looking at that and going, 'Wow, this is a big mountain to climb.' It's a lot of money ... that would have done the last two-and-a-half campaigns for Emirates Team New Zealand." Dalton is in negotiations with the other teams and said that Team NZ "is willing to assist them" with design and setup, but insisted that money is not "everything." He added, "We've shown that David can beat Goliath, and can beat him well if you make smart decisions" (NZ HERALD, 7/1).
