As the America's Cup takes a hold of the global sports stage this year one Hawke's Bay jeweller has reminisced about a special day three decades ago when he got to hold the trophy.
Unio Goldsmith owner Bruce Jackson was working as a jeweller in Perth when the America's Cup trophy, also known as the "Auld Mug", landed on his workshop bench and he was asked to hand polish it.
Mr Jackson said it took "hours and hours" to take off a slick of varnish the New York Yacht Club had applied to it after holding it for 132 years.
"They held it for years and years and rather than polish it they just varnished it. So they didn't have to take it out of the cupboard and polish it every year."
He chuckled as he remembered that several Australians whom he was working with at the time didn't want him holding the trophy.