"I am not telling you a thing," Bruno Trouble bellows. "Not a thing," he repeats again, just as sternly.
In four days, one of the most secretive events of the America's Cup, the Louis Vuitton ball, will take place.
On Wednesday night in Valencia 2000 people, including someof the world's rich and famous, will attend the party. The location will be revealed only two days before the event.
Prising information out of organisers Trouble and Louis Vuitton's Christine Belanger is like getting blood from a stone. But that is half the fun - the Louis Vuitton ball has always been shrouded in secrecy.
The first was held in 1983 on Hammersmith farm in Newport - where Jacqueline Bouvier married John F. Kennedy. There were 2000 guests, 2000 lobsters and 2000 bottles of Moet.
One of the most extraordinary locations was the 1992 ball on US aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk, which had not long returned from the Gulf war. Three thousand guests were loaded on to the ship along with a band, 1000 bottles of wine, 2000 cans of beer and 1000 bottles of champagne.
"That one took a bit of organising," Trouble said. "I had to deal with Washington."
One for surprises, Trouble thought he'd shake up his guests by silencing the band and blasting a pre-recorded sound of an aircraft's engine.
Three years later, the military theme continued when the party took place at the Top Gun Academy, on the edge of the desert in San Diego. Many guests were helicoptered to the party, which was in a hangar.
In Auckland, the first Louis Vuitton ball was held at the Civic Centre, the second in 2002 at a drydock in Devonport. They were two of the most spectacular parties Auckland has seen.
Trouble said he felt the pressure to improve on each party. He also said the money Louis Vuitton had spent on parties over the years would more than fund a decent America's Cup challenge.
One of the difficulties was he could not invite everyone. There are 6000 people in the America's Cup community, but only 2000 will be donning their glad rags next week.
