KEY POINTS:
Dean Barker's reflection is beaming out of the Louis Vuitton Cup, which is perched on a table in the base. Relaxed after a three-day break, the Team New Zealand skipper is clearly ready for the next challenge - Ernesto Bertarelli's Alinghi.
In seven days' time, Barker will ease
the black boat down the canal for race one of the America's Cup.
Alongside him will be 16 men, many of whom were at his side during the embarrassing 2003 defeat. Also on board will be syndicate boss Grant Dalton, the man responsible for getting Team New Zealand in a position to challenge for yachting's top prize - one that four years ago was taken from a young, inexperienced and designer-led Team New Zealand so cheaply.
In the hot Mediterranean sun, a sea of black will form by the canal to cheer their team on. Among the supporters are likely to be Barker's wife Mandy, young daughter Mia and his parents.
The chance to right the wrongs will be here. "The team is so different," said Barker, looking back on 2003.
"We have confidence in our ability, our performance, our boat, our equipment, our reliability - it is a completely different set-up. The nice thing is we can drop our shoulders a little bit now and enjoy the racing.
"While I am sure Alinghi are the favourites in everyone's mind I think we have given ourselves as good a chance of doing well as we possibly can - given where we were in 2003."
Following that devastating 5-0 loss to Alinghi, it would have been understandable if Barker had never wanted to set foot on a cup yacht again. But, on the night his team handed over the cup to Alinghi, Barker announced there was only one thing to do - to go and get it back.
Since then he has grown in character. While he remains reserved and quietly spoken, there is no denying his determination. While he does not project the same steely confidence as a Russell Coutts or Chris Dickson, to imply Barker is in some way soft would show you did not know him.
"Dean is a tough guy," Dalton has said. "People make that mistake. He is a tough bastard. He has the scars of 2003, he did the year of 2003 to 2004 with me all over him. He is tough. I have no worries about Dean."
With so much history between Team New Zealand and Alinghi, one cannot wonder how Barker feels about Alinghi - a team which includes a number of his former Team New Zealand teammates.
"It is very hard to go out there and hate the people you are sailing against," Barker said. "It is a competitive hate, maybe. We want to beat the other guy and that is the nature of this team."
Like Team New Zealand, Alinghi are also a different group to the one that lined up in the last cup. The most notable omission is Coutts.
The secretive Swiss have yet to announce whether Ed Baird or Peter Holmberg will steer, but the rumour mill suggests that Baird has been given the nod.
While the two helmsman differ in style - Holmberg is a lot more aggressive than Baird - it is probably fair to say that whoever Alinghi have on the boat is of little consequence to Team New Zealand.
The question everyone wants to know is: how fast are the Swiss boats?
"It is very hard with the way the rules are to have a big speed advantage," Barker said.
"You saw how close all the boats were in the Louis Vuitton series. It is very hard to imagine that one team can be that much more superior than everyone else ... that is one thing we keep reminding ourselves.
"We hope that it is going to be a case of 'if you sail well you will beat the other guy'. It's not just going to come down to boat speed."
Leading up to the match Barker said Team New Zealand's focus will be on improving themselves.
"The challenge for this team and what we remind ourselves every day is that what was good enough for the Louis Vuitton final may not be good enough for the America's Cup.
"We have got some clear objectives of what we can do better. We are always looking to do better in starts, work on our communication from the weather team to make sure we choose the favoured side and how we achieve the plan of doing that."
Going into race one next Sunday, Barker said he will feel calm.
"There is something pretty special about going out to race one of the America's Cup, because there are those uncertainties surrounding performance which add a bit of pressure.
"But I think by coming through the Louis Vuitton series, you prepare yourself as best you possibly can for that moment."
