You can scratch Oracle Team USA from a list of potential challengers for the America's Cup on New Zealand shores in 2021.
Twenty-four hours after Newshub revealed that a prospective Australian challenge headed by former Oracle sailor Tom Slingsby had fallen over, the Larry Ellison-backed team appears dead in the water.
Oracle's America's Cup winning skipper Jimmy Spithill confirmed on Wednesday that he will race with Luna Rossa in the next regatta, staying mum about the future of his former team.
But his former teammate, Kyle Langford told Newshub on Thursday that Ellison has thrown in the white flag.
"It's pretty clear that Oracle won't be entering the next Cup, which is a shame," the Australian native told Newshub.
"Larry Ellison has done a lot of good things in the world of sailing.
"I think the event that we see in 2021 is credit to Larry and Russell [Coutts] and the vision they had of fast, foiling boats. It's a shame they won't be there.
"He feels like he has done his time and he is over it."
Langford, who was keen to be a part of the now defunct Australian challenge, is in America's Cup limbo as he weighs up future options.
Team New Zealand have implemented strict rules around nationality for the 2021 regatta.
Twenty percent of the sailing crew must be true nationals of that syndicate, while the rest need to comply with residency rules.
Foreign imports must live in their syndicate's home country for a minimum of 380 days to be eligible to race for that team.
Langford is confident he will end up on a boat - he just isn't sure who it will be for.
"There are ways around it," Langford told Newshub.
"You can become a resident of a particular country and still compete. It is quite a lot more difficult than it has been in the past.
"There are a lot of great and talented Australian sailors. Much like the Kiwis, we dominate the sport - and it is a real shame we can't get an Australian team together.
"It would be a dream of mine to compete for Australia - and yeah, it's not going to happen."
Langford is teaming with America's Cup-winning helmsmen Peter Burling on Team Brunel in the Volvo Ocean race.
The boast are currently docked in Auckland, with the next leg set to get underway on Saturday.
Newshub.
