Team NZ CEO Grant Dalton remaining optimistic three late entries can be on start line for 2021 America's Cup

The Maltese, Dutch and US Stars and Stripes challenge are all struggling with fears they won't be in Cagliari for the first World Series regatta next April.

But Dalton says before Bermuda Team New Zealand were in a similar position.

He says last time around this time the other teams were already camped in Bermuda and were already sailing test boats and they were in New Zealand broke and didn't have a boat.

So Dalton says it doesn't necessarily follow that you have to be there now.