"It's frustrating when you're working hard to make it right [and it doesn't work out like in 2003], and in a sense that's what we're trying to do.
"After that campaign [2003's defence] I headed off overseas for about six months, because it was just painful.
"You couldn't meet anyone in the pub without them banging on about it, you kind of push it aside, but it was a disaster, it really was, and so I headed off to the States [Rhode Island]."
It is those 2003 memories which will be driving McAsey during the four-month competition in San Francisco, especially with the hardest part now behind him - being away from his family.
"At the moment I feel I've done the hardest part, being down in Auckland six days a week. Getting over there I'll be with my family and I kind of think it'll be easier, emotionally it will be."
Team New Zealand have an apartment in San Francisco where sailors families will be based, giving McAsey a chance to see his wife and two daughters more than he has in the past 18 months.
McAsey believes sailing in Northland has a lot of promise, led by Blair Tuke, who will be the tactician for Team New Zealand at the Youth America's Cup.
"He's [Tuke] spent a lot of time at Team New Zealand with the Youth America's Cup, I didn't know Blair before that.
"A few of those young guys are going well, I haven't had a lot to do with him but he's a real good bloke."
