KEY POINTS:
Following the loss to Alinghi in 2003, a despondent Dean Barker stood in his team's base in Auckland in front of his teammates, family, friends and sponsors and said there was only one thing to do.
"To go and get it back."
On Monday night, Barker and many others who were involved in the devastating defeat, will begin the journey towards doing just that - winning back the America's Cup.
It is going to be tough - but there is no denying that the Grant Dalton-led syndicate is in a good position going into the three-month event.
In the past three years, they have competed in 13 America's Cup pre-regattas earning the title of season champions in 2004 and 2006. Last year, in the final match-racing regatta before the main event, Team New Zealand defeated BMW Oracle Racing in the semis and then Alinghi in the final.
Their new boats, NZL84 and NZL92, are good, solid all-round boats and clearly quick. Slightly different from their opponents', the full bows on the black boats have been copied by rival syndicates.
"We have never felt uncomfortable with our speed," Barker says. "But at the same time have never had a big advantage over anyone. It has been very, very even."
A couple of weeks ago Team New Zealand were bold enough to race defenders Alinghi. Eyebrows were raised - challengers generally do not race the defender leading up to the cup.
Team New Zealand won 2-0 but it's unclear how hard either team was trying.
"We took the view that Alinghi has been the form team every year since they won the cup in 2003," Barker says.
"We are really trying to prepare the best we can for the Louis Vuitton series. We figure the best way to do that is to go up against the best and measure ourselves from there.
"Racing them is good for the whole team. The sailors get a different perspective racing a different style and we give ourselves a chance to look at a different boat which is all beneficial in terms of developing."
Team New Zealand go into the challenger series as one of the favourites alongside Chris Dickson's BMW Oracle Racing and Luna Rossa. But Barker says it's no foregone conclusion that the three will cruise into the semifinals.
"There well and truly could be some upsets in these round robins. You almost have to throw the form book out the window in a way. Teams are racing in boats that we have never seen before.
"We are brutally aware that if we have an off day or a couple of off days then you are really going to be up against it to get to the semis. We know the soft races are probably the most dangerous. They are the ones that you can drop your guard and suddenly you have lost one or two races and you are fighting for life.
"Our strategy is to come out full guns blazing when we go into the start of round robin one."
Barker believes his sailors are stronger than they were last year due to the ongoing work of sailing coach Joey Allen, who has relentlessly tested them on race manoeuvres.
"We know that the boats are getting closer and closer in performance and the difference between winning and losing is going to be metres, not minutes, and that it is going to come down to better crew work," Barker says. "We are certainly in a much better position now than we were this time last year."
So how is Barker feeling, heading into what will be his first challenger series?
"I feel like we have done everything we can given the resources we have had. It remains to be seen whether we are fast enough. It feels like we are. But, until we race, it's hard to make that absolutely definite yes or no in terms of performance.
"We feel comfortable with our boats and equipment, the afterguard are working very well together and the team has prepared very, very well.
"I just want to get racing now. It is one of those things that has been on the horizon for so long now. I am a little bit anxious waiting to know where exactly we stand, but I am looking forward to it."
