KEY POINTS:
Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton says his team have got to improve each day from now on.
Emirates Team NZ wrapped up their training programme in Auckland last week. The syndicate's race boats, NZL84 and NZL92, head to Valencia today on board a giant Russian Antonov. Team
members will follow over the next week.
Since mid-October, the team have been testing NZL84 and NZL92 on the Hauraki Gulf five or six days a week. The end of testing signals the start of the final phase of preparations for the America's Cup challenger series, starting on April 16.
Competing boats will drop their skirts and unveil their appendages on April 1 before taking part in the final cup pre-regatta - a three-day fleet race from April 3 to April 7.
"We need to, now as we move to Valencia, move very much into a racing mode," Dalton said.
"Development is over. Yes, there will be little things that are developed and changed.
"We must remain responsive to things that are happening on other boats.
"Unveiling day will be a big day for everybody.
"There has to be continuous improvement every day.
"We must be better than we were the day before - here on in."
Team NZ are currently the top-ranked challenger, holding a minuscule two-point lead over Chris Dickson's American syndicate BMW Oracle Racing.
But the last month or so has seen some interesting comings and goings.
Defenders Alinghi, who have been based in Dubai, hired Peter Gilmour as a coach, while the Spanish Challenge Desafio Espanol picked up well-regarded American Paul Cayard.
Oracle launched their second boat, USA98, in Auckland amid rumours their first boat, USA87, was going under the knife in Valencia.
Although USA98 has some characteristics similar to Team NZ boats, Dalton said the more they see of it, the more they think it actually resembles USA87.
"It does carry some of the features [of our boats], but they ... have developed out of their old boat."
Dalton said Alinghi have also come up with some clever ideas.
"They are trying to solve the wind triangle - or the shear in the wind between the top of the mast and the bottom - quite cleverly, and that is quite a big deal in Valencia."
Dalton said the black boats are going faster than they were last year.
"It doesn't always follow that when you get new boats that the steps continue. We are pleased that we are still improving."
When asked if his team were ready for the gunfire, Dalton said they have been careful not to give their rivals any ammunition: "1992 [where Team NZ ended up a in messy spat over their bow sprit] proved we were a little soft.
"We have guys like [team director and Queen's Counsel] Jim Farmer who are pretty savvy, but from a design perspective we have tried not to put ourselves in a position where someone can have a crack at us."