Cup great supports change

The man who helped mastermind Switzerland’s America’s Cup heist in Auckland has welcomed Team New Zealand’s decision to return monohulls to yachting’s greatest spectacle.

Jochen Schumann is arguably Germany’s greatest sailor, winning four Olympic medals, including three golds, as well as two world titles.

He was also part of Alinghi’s successful swoop on the America’s Cup in Auckland in 2003 and helped defend the Auld Mug against the Kiwis in Valencia four years later, the last time monohulls featured in the competition.

Team New Zealand have confirmed they will ditch catamarans for their defence of the America’s Cup in Auckland in 2021 and are working on a ‘‘spectacular monohull’’ that is sure to have foiling capabilities.

‘‘The last Cup was undoubtedly spectacular, but also a little way from sailing,’’ Schumann told German news site Zietof New Zealand’s success in Bermuda this year where they thrashed defenders Oracle Team USA using a boat powered by four ‘‘cyclors’’.

‘‘This was the Formula 1 on the water to a high degree, but the spectators could hardly understand the power of the hydraulic system and what the sailors were doing.’’

Schumann believes the new breed of monohulls will be just as exciting and provide a television spectacle as good as what was seen in Sam Francisco and Bermuda. ‘‘The monohull boats are going to be very fast and the speed could be even more - the Cup will continue to deliver spectacular images.’’

TNZ will reveal the full details of the 2021 America’s Cup when they release the protocol later this month.