America's Cup: Dalton has no fear of losing key Team New Zealand members

Glen Ashby, Grant Dalton and Peter Burling are welcomed at Auckland airport international arrivals hall. Photo / Michael Craig

Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton says dates for the next America's Cup will be finalised in the next few weeks and he is confident he'll retain all key staff for the event.

Dalton, who along with Emirates Team Zealand will celebrate their America's Cup victory with a parade in Auckland today, revealed on Newstalk ZB's Mike Hosking Breakfast that plans for the 36th America's Cup will be rolled out soon.

"The protocol that will govern the 36th America's Cup defence in New Zealand is written and it's signed. We want to revisit it a little with our challenger of record in Luna Rossa and just check in the light of the win that everything is as we'd like it to be," Dalton told Hosking.

"You will see in the next couple of weeks, we'll release dates at a minimum and then pretty much roll it out after that."

Dalton said Wellington will hold an event to celebrate Team New Zealand's victory over Oracle Team USA in Bermuda next Tuesday, and plans for events in Christchurch and Dunedin are under way.

Dalton told Hosking that he isn't concerned about members of the team being poached by rival syndicates.

"It's a very very strong, tight team and we all get on really well. There's no politics. There's no egos. And so it's a team that everyone wants to be at. But you can't rely on that if someone waves a giant chequebook. Within our protocol there will be an element of nationality, so when you roll that out, it's not impossible but it will be difficult for members to go to another team.

"We're the defender. We're already in the Cup. We have a great design team. Why would you want to go?"

Dalton told the Mike Hosking Breakfast that he has not had discussions with the government about how the America's Cup will be funded.

"I've had no discussions with anybody yet. I'm sure that they, in the same way the parade has been organised around us, okay this is a much bigger deal with the infrastructure, but there will be discussions going on.

"We're incredibly grateful to the government for the $5m, which is now approved. But the infrastructure discussions haven't started yet. They have to start soon because we have an event to get ready for," Dalton said.

"I know how to run a campaign but this will be a new area for me. I have some idea of what we need and what it takes to put these bases down but I can't answer that - that's a discussion with the government and with the council."