Oracle Team USA intends to “set up operations” in their Bermuda team base by the beginning of May.

A plot of land next to the twin cement silos at the Royal Naval Dockyard has been reserved for the defender of the America’s Cup to erect their multi-building base, which, among other things, will house their fleet of wing-sail AC45 and AC62 foiling catamarans.

Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill, who is on Island, is optimistic that the project will be completed on time.

“Our plan at Oracle Team USA is to be sailing out on the Great Sound at the beginning of May,” he said.

“It’s important for us to hit that deadline, so we’re working to put a plan in place to achieve that.

“Our guys are ready and all want to be here. What’s stopping us from getting out on the water is obviously we have to get our facility and base set up, so we can operate.

“The objective of being here this week is to start work on setting up our base, our home, in Bermuda. That’s why it’s important this week to sit down with the different parties who have been really accommodating and excited as well, and making sure that plan can happen.”

Mr Spithill, who led Oracle to arguably the greatest comeback in the history of sports to retain the coveted “Auld Mug” at the previous America’s Cup in San Francisco in 2013, said moving into his team’s Bermuda base at the earliest opportunity is essential to their hopes of getting the “jump on the competition”, in terms of familiarising themselves to local conditions.

“This is the toughest group of challengers we have ever seen in the history of the event and we’ve got to be ready,” the 2014 ISAF Rolex Sailor of the Year said.

“We want to get a step ahead of these other teams and we’re looking for any edge we can get to get out there and start sailing.

“We’ve got our last testing training session [in San Francisco] during February and once that’s done, we are packing up our entire operation, our work sheds, the boats and everything, putting it on the ship and sending it over here.

“Our plan is to be sailing here May 1. That’s ambitious but it’s realistic.”

Mr Spithill, the only Australian skipper to win the America’s Cup on multiple occasions, has urged local sailing enthusiasts to rally behind his team’s Cup defence when Bermuda hosts the match race in 2017. It will be the first time that an American syndicate has defended outside of the United States.

“The locals are going to be a big part of the result and we need them to get behind our team if we want to win it,” he said.

“That is a key part and that was one of the key parts in the last America’s Cup, the locals getting behind us.

“We really want to welcome them with open arms, as they have us since we have arrived here.

“Our team members, designers, the athletes, their families and kids are all coming here from now onwards looking for houses, schools, getting integrated into the local community.

“For me, having been here the past couple of days, the local people here are really behind it. I have no doubt it’s going to be a fantastic America’s Cup.”