KEY POINTS:
Amid the bad weather and the pomp and ceremony surrounding the arrival of Team New Zealand's waka and the Prime Minister lies a little-known fact - tomorrow night, Grant Dalton makes his real America's Cup debut.
Dalton was part of the New Zealand challenge in 1987 but failed to make the sailing team under Chris Dickson, something he has said "destroyed" him at the time but has given him motivation over the years.
When asked if he would be on the boat on the first day, Dalton, who sails as a floater, grinding and packing sails, replied: "Absolutely."
When asked how he would feel, he took a little longer with his reply.
"I don't think I'll feel any different than I felt going into any of the other races we've done. Maybe if it was the first race of the cup, I might.
"We have worked quite hard internally, from a psychological point of view, to try and put ourselves in the same spot every day, no matter who we are racing.
"Maybe on the morning, I will. I don't think on Monday we'll have first day nerves or anything, we are way past that."
Dalton recovered from his disappointment to compete in six (and win two) Round the World races and complete a 62-day sprint around the planet as skipper of Club Med.
He was called in to restructure and revitalise Team New Zealand after it lost the America's Cup in 2003. Four years later, Emirates Team New Zealand start the Louis Vuitton Cup as the top ranked challenger.
Dalton says there will be upsets. The middle of the road teams such as Desafio Espanol, Mascalzone Latino and Shosholoza have improved markedly and conditions in Valencia are far from settled, proving a minefield for tacticians.
"It is not in the summer pattern yet. There will be a bigger sea state, the wind weight is high because the air is still very dense. In the summer, although the wind speed may be similar, the density is much less. It has a completely different effect on the boat," he said. "It is a different game when the sea breeze kicks in."
Dalton finds it difficult to give a real reading on Dickson's BMW Oracle Racing, expected to be their most difficult opponent.
"From what I've seen though, they look bloody good," Dalton said.
Team New Zealand have had two secret hit-outs against Alinghi, which hasn't pleased a few of the challengers, who reckon Team New Zealand are giving away too much to the Swiss.
Dalton doesn't care. As far as he is concerned, it is his job to ensure his team are in the strongest position going into the Louis Vuitton Cup and the best way to do that is by racing the best.
Meanwhile, Dalton and Prime Minister Helen Clark have shot down reports that Emirates were angling to have the next America's Cup regatta in Dubai, should Team New Zealand defeat Alinghi.
Clark said: "We were far sighted enough to write into the contract with Team New Zealand that should we win, it goes back to New Zealand for the defence."
