Ashby this week confirmed he was approached by Iain Murray's Team Australia but only after he had already re-committed to Team New Zealand.
With top Australian sailing talent holding key positions in three of the four syndicates in this year's America's Cup, including Oracle's skipper Jimmy Spithill, strategist Tom Slingsby, wing trimmer Kyle Langford, and Artemis skipper Nathan Outteridge, Australia's return to the America's Cup has been long-awaited.
But Team Australia, who signed on as challenger of record for the 35th event, have yet to secure any big names to their sailing team.
Sitting on a panel with fellow Olympic medallists Slingsby (laser) and Outteridge and Iain Jensen (49er), Ashby cited "unfinished business" as one of the reasons for his decision to return to the Kiwi syndicate, referring to Team New Zealand's 9-8 loss to Oracle in the 34th match. He also said that he was heavily involved in the design process with the team and that was a function he enjoyed.
Team New Zealand quickly re-signed Ashby after they returned from San Francisco through the help of a $5 million grant from the Government to secure the services of key members of their design and sail team. Syndicate head Grant Dalton is trying to secure the commercial sponsorship needed to have another crack at wresting the Auld Mug off Oracle.
The Australian played a vital role in Team New Zealand's campaign in San Francisco this year, filling the role of wingsail trimmer. The giant 40m-tall wingsails were effectively the engines of the boat, powering the impressive AC72 crafts to speeds upwards of 45 knots. Ashby was also instrumental in helping skipper Dean Barker and his crew make the switch to multihull racing after cup holders Oracle elected to move to catamarans for this year's event.
The 14-time world multihull champion was initially a member of Oracle's successful crew in 2010, coaching Jimmy Spithill in multihull sailing after the US team built a giant 90ft trimaran for the Deed of Gift challenge against Swiss team Alinghi.
Meanwhile, the Brits believe they are on track with their fundraising efforts as they target a return to the America's Cup.
Sir Ben Ainslie, who was added to the battling Oracle afterguard midway through this year's regatta and was credited as being a key part of the team's dramatic turnaround, hopes to put a team together to mount a challenge to bring the trophy back to the United Kingdom, where the America's Cup began in 1851.
"The fundraising is going well. We are sort of on our target - if you like - of where we wanted to be at this time," Ainslie told Sky Sports News. "Obviously it is a lot of money to raise ... but we have had a tremendous amount of support from the public."
- by Dana Johannsen of the NZ Herald
