Sailing legend Dennis Conner said that it would have been an “honour” to manage a Bermuda team in the 2017 America’s Cup.

The four-times America’s Cup winner had been offered the job of managing a Bermuda team but ultimately declined the offer, admitting that the team would have been at a great disadvantage entering the game at this late stage.

“I think it would be great and I would be honoured to be a part of a Bermuda challenge,” Conner said.

“But at this late day, without the funds in place, it’s impossible to catch up with all of the effort and head-start that the teams have been working for two or three years.”

An ambitious eleventh-hour proposal that would have seen Bermuda compete in some part of the 35th America’s Cup ultimately fell by the wayside after Conner declined the offer to manage the team and help raise funds to finance the campaign.

“I was a little nervous they could not come up with the money to make it all work and wasn’t ready to make that challenge myself,” Conner said.

“Bermuda is making a big financial commitment to host the Cup and I am just wondering where will the money come from? Where’s another $100?million going to come from to support a Bermuda challenge?”

Among the local sailors invited to be a part of the team was Olympic sailor Peter Bromby who narrowly missed out on a medal in the Star Class at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

Conner, who is also a multiple world champion and Olympic medalist, visited Bermuda last week to share his wealth of sailing expertise at a fundraiser at The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club.

Funds raised during the sold out event will go towards sending a Bermuda team to this summer’s ISAF Team Racing World Championships in the UK.

“Bermuda has produced so many great sailors over the years,” Conner said.

“I think it’s good we continue this tradition and to make that work it takes money to fly around and compete at international level.

“So I am going to try to raise some money so they [youth sailors] can go and compete worldwide and raise their game to be more competitive.”

The 2015 ISAF Team Racing Championships will be held in Rutland, from July 20 to 24 and will feature as many as 36 teams competing in double handed Firefly type dinghies across open and youth divisions.