Glenn Ashby, the Emirates Team New Zealand director, has every right to be optimistic in the lead up to the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda in 2017.

In Olympic medallists and multiple world champions Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, the team boast two of the most gifted young sailors in the world.

Together the pair have won 17 consecutive major titles and have not been beaten in the 49er since winning the silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.

Last month helmsman Burling and trimmer Tuke helped guide Team New Zealand to second place at the America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth on their debut at this level.

“What a fantastic opportunity for Peter to come through as a young guy,” Ashby said. “Helming an America’s Cup class yacht is a fantastic opportunity and his skill level, as is Blair’s, is undoubtedly really, really high.”

Multiple world champion Ashby, who won the 33rd America’s Cup with Oracle Team USA, believes that the wing-sail, foiling America’s Cup catamarans are a perfect fit for Burling and Tuke.

“This type of sailing suits those guys coming through,” he said.

“It’s a fast paced, quick action and decision sort of sailing and all the top guys that have come through Olympic programmes know how to react when the pressure is on.”

Burling, who led Team New Zealand to victory at the inaugural Red Bull Youth America’s Cup along with Tuke in 2013, appears to have made a seamless transition since replacing Dean Barker as the team’s helmsman.

“Peter has a really level head on his shoulders and I think that’s one of his fantastic traits,” Ashby said.

“He doesn’t get fazed too easily and I think that will stand him in good stead in the future.”

Burling helmed Team New Zealand’s AC45F catamaran admirably at the America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth, posting a third and first in the two races contested on the Solent in fluky breezes that kept teams guessing.

“We just love being out on the water and being able to measure ourselves against the best sailors in the world,” Burling said.

Ashby, who travelled to Bermuda this year on a scouting mission, was pleased with the team’s performance.

“We are absolutely pleased to be anywhere near the front end of the fleet,” he said.

“This is the first event since the America’s Cup in 2013 when we came close to victory and it’s great to get back out on the water again.

“We are still working very much on our teamwork and crew going forward with Peter and Blair coming in from the Olympic side of sailing.

“So we still have a lot of work to do to get our boat handling right and are really looking forward to going to Gothenburg and getting into some great racing there.”