As one campaign comes to a close attention turns to what happens next.
Team New Zealand flight controller Blair Tuke lifts the America's Cup. Photo: ACE | Studio Borlenghi
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the club that Team New Zealand represents, has received a Challenge for the next America's Cup.
The deal was done at sea, but the details are not yet public.
Defenders and challengers don't waste time starting the negotiations of what the next iteration of the Match for the oldest trophy in international sports will be like.
The exact location of the next Cup won't be known for days or maybe even weeks.
But the skipper of the defeated Luna Rossa team, Max Sirena, said the Italians would be back among the Challengers for the next Cup, which he hoped would be in New Zealand. Especially as the team's principal Patrizio Bertelli, who was unable to travel to New Zealand for this regatta, would be trying again to win to the Auld Mug for the first time - after six previous attempts.
"Mr Bertelli wants to keep going, obviously lets see what's going to happen in the next few weeks I think it is really important to understand what is going to be the future of the Cup, but from what I know the team wants to be back, which is great for Italy and it's great for our sport and I'm really looking forward to seeing Luna Rossa back in the water soon,' Sirena said
A big part of the America's Cup in Auckland were AC75s that were a new class of boat for this regatta.
The foiling monohulls provided spectacular moments but at other times fell flat.
The expense involved with joining the design race for this class ruled some yacht clubs out of competing but it hasn't deterred Sirena from wanting to see these boats - or an even more advanced version - back for the 37th America's Cup.
"The future it looks promising, lets hope we're going to keep going with this class with this boat and I'm sure Team New Zealand and the new Challenger of Record is hopefully going to put together a great event for the future."
Team New Zealand's head designer Dan Bernasconi supported the continuation of the class for the America's Cup saying another edition of the regatta, with a bit more wind, would test the boat in different ways.
"In the design rule that we decided right at the beginning, we didn't allow changing of foils day to day or changing of rudders so you had to come out with a boat which was good across the range and I think that kept costs down , it made things simpler and it proved that you can have a really competitive boat that is good across the range, but yeah it would be great to see in a future edition of this a bigger range of conditions."
Photo: ACE | Studio Borlenghi
The government has committed to continuing to back Team New Zealand to the tune of around $5 million as long as the next defence is in New Zealand and the majority of the team sticks together.
For Team New Zealand helmsman, Peter Burling, defending the Cup on home waters was special - something he would undoubtedly like to replicate.
"I think it's been an amazing experience for us as a team to be able to compete in an event like this on home soil, we'd also really like to thank the New Zealand public for the support in the event , it's been absolutely amazing every day to go out and to see more and more boats out on the water."
For Burling's good mate and flight controller, Blair Tuke, having the regatta in New Zealand has spinoffs he hoped would be felt for generations to come.
"I think the America's Cup how it captures New Zealanders is very very unique, everyone around the country has memories of the America's Cup, where they were when they were watching it and that's no different for all of us in the team, for us now to have the opportunities to represent our country and try and win the Cup again on home waters is something we are very honoured to do and I hope Kiwi kids right around the country, not just the ones that were out on the Hauraki Gulf or watching here in Auckland but from the top right to the bottom got to watch this and enjoyed it.
While the sailors revel in their victory the rest of New Zealand waits - to see if Auckland will get to do it all again in few years time.
