The Louis Vuitton Cup is only a month away, which means that things are starting to warm up here in Valencia. The cup is for the 11 challenging teams who will race through a double round-robin series, a semi-final and then a final series. The winner will progress to race Alinghi, from Switzerland, in the America’s Cup final in June. By the middle of May, seven teams will have been eliminated, which, after three years of training, is a harsh reality.

At Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), we have been working hard over the summer at our base in Auckland. Going back to New Zealand was not only good for team morale — 80 per cent of the team are from Auckland — but it also enabled us to keep up the hours on the water, which probably would not have been possible in the European winter.

The second of our two new boats was launched in November, so our main focus has been on maximising the performance of the yacht through fine-tuning the rig, sails and appendages (the underwater hardware). Now that we are so close to racing, we have switched our focus to having the team as well prepared as possible. We have subtly moved away from the endless hours of testing to focus more on short-course racing, starting and boat handling.

Going into the racing, the top four challengers are probably ETNZ, BMW Oracle, of the United States, Luna Rossa, of Italy, and Desafio Español. The expectation is that the racing will be some of the closest ever as the design philosophies for the America’s Cup class get closer and the speed differentials between the boats become narrower. Teamwork and close-quarter manoeuvring will become crucial.

The close racing will also increase the likelihood that the on-water umpires will have a busy time and their decisions will have a huge impact on the racing.

Before the team left for Spain, we were fortunate to spend some time with Graham Henry and his New Zealand rugby union squad. It was fascinating to share different philosophies on team-building and on dealing with pressure when the heat is on. I was hugely impressed by the modesty of the leading team in world rugby; certainly their focus and work ethic are second to none.

Another similarity between the All Blacks and ETNZ is having an amazing amount of public support in New Zealand. Sailing is up there as a national sport and the fact that we are, in part, financially backed by the Government means that, in a way, all New Zealanders have a stake in the team. The level of support is amazing for such a small nation and as a team it gives you a great lift to know that you have that backing.

Of course, the America’s Cup is not the only sailing event this year. In July, the joint Olympic classes World Championships will take place in Cascais, Portugal. For all Olympic hopefuls, this is a massive event in terms of becoming a credible medal contender.

It will also serve as a method of selection for many nations. There is only one Olympic place per class per nation, which makes the competition for qualification fierce. My situation is no different, with my main competition for the Olympic berth being Ed Wright, the European champion in the Finn class. If, as we all hope, ETNZ go all the way to race the Swiss in the America’s Cup, it is debatable whether I will be able to race in Cascais.

It is a decision I will have to make quite late, but I will not race if I am uncomfortable with the amount of preparation time.

The Cascais venue should reward the heavier sailors, making it a different challenge from Qingdao, the sailing venue in China. The Great Britain squad continues to lead the way, with medal hopes in almost all ten classes — a great credit to those involved.

The challenge is to keep that momentum going in the build-up to the Olympic Games next year.