New Zealand won the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona, Spain this weekend. Now the attention is on the next America's Cup.

New Zealand, which had never competed in a final and has not won an event for 60 years, was immediately notified that they would be the "challengers of record". This means they will negotiate the key aspects of America's Cup 38.

Grant Dalton joked that the last time when he accepted the trophy, he had been back at his desk planning the next campaign the following morning.

New Zealand's defence of the Auld Mug was a triumph on and off water. They defeated the crew headed by Ben Ainslie who claimed that the America's Cup champions were the best in the 173-year history.

Dalton said ahead of the final, that if New Zealand wins, they will focus on the continuation, which includes developing the AC75 design and attracting additional teams, in addition to the British and U.S. teams, in 2024.

The barriers to entry are high, even though all the challengers this year have stated that they will be returning for another go. A high-tech America's Cup requires at least 75 millions euros ($81million).

Dalton stated that he wanted to increase budget restrictions to encourage new teams, but he also did not want the competition to be stifled by limiting innovation or technology.

Dalton also said that the technology should not be the only thing onboard, but rather the combination of sailors.

The first Women's America's Cup was a significant event in Barcelona. Dalton called it a success, and he said he'd pursue the change again as defender. The race, which was held in smaller AC40 boats attracted Australians, Canadians, Dutch, Germans, Spanish, and Swedish crews.

Ainslie, from Britain, also said that he would prefer to stick with the AC75s rather than pursue the women's race. This means that both parties are on the same page as they put in place a "protocol" at the next event.

'GREAT EVENT'

The next location is a key question, given the amount of time required to prepare for the America's Cup. Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, has been mentioned as a possible host along with Auckland, Barcelona, and Valencia.

Dalton stated, "We would like to be in a place that will appreciate the Cup and do the right thing for a fantastic event."

Mateu Hernandez, the tourism director of Barcelona, said that hosting an "audience" event has helped to raise its profile, and attracted many influential people.

Hernandez said that the economic impact of America's Cup in Barcelona is still unknown. However, it has accelerated investment in the city's waterfront, in developing "blue economies" and in creating a greater maritime cultural connection.

When asked if Barcelona will host the event again, Hernandez replied: "We must really process what happened. At the same time, we must understand that the city received what it desired."

If the winners believed that the conditions will be the same, as they were when negotiations took place for this event, it would be difficult to repeat the event, Hernandez said.

Kevin Shoebridge, New Zealand's chief operational officer, told reporters that although there were discussions about venues, none had been decided. The team would put out a timeline for making these choices within the next few week.

(source: Reuters)