The waves off England's southern coast delivered a silver medal for Kerikeri's Blair Tuke and his Tauranga-based teammate Peter Burling on Thursday when the pair concluded their Olympic campaign by finishing in second place overall in the 49er class.
Tuke later admitted the build-up leading to the final had been "weird", referring to how the pair had guaranteed their silver medal days beforehand, with an unassailable lead on the standings (as had the gold medal winners and good friends, Australians Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen) but needed to complete the formality by starting the final race at Weymouth. The pair eventually crossed the finish line in second place, hugging each other, then jumped into the water and sprayed champagne once they made the shore while Tuke's parents watched from nearby. Adding to the occasion of winning New Zealand's 100th Olympic medal - and breaking a 20-year drought for Kiwi sailors at the Games (bar windsurfing) - was having the silver medal draped over their necks by Kiwi boardsailer Barbara Kendall, New Zealand's most successful female Olympian with three Olympic medals, and an IOC member.
Back in the Far North, an estimated gathering of 40 - made up family and friends including those of fellow Kerikeri Olympian, Andrew Murdoch - watched the final race and medal ceremony live from a cafe in Kerikeri.
Tuke's silver medal was the first Olympic medal for Northland since Whangarei equestrian Blyth Tait won gold and one bronze at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. He admitted the achievement was still sinking in a day later.
"It's just amazing. So many great people have won medals for New Zealand in the past and to be alongside them is pretty special. To be the actual 100th ones is quite crazy. We are quite proud."
The pair's sights were apparently set on competing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, although both said they were considering stepping up to bigger boats after their silver medal success attracted the attention of some big players in the relatively small but high-budget world of international sailing.
"Possibly racing in the middle of the Southern Ocean [in the Volvo Ocean Race], maybe the America's Cup ... We are both still young ..." Tuke said at Weymouth after the medal ceremony last Thursday morning (NZT).
'Dreams can come true'Local reaction to Tuke's success was attributed to strong sailing programmes at Kerikeri High School and the Kerikeri Cruising Club.
Perhaps the single most important factor was the influence of former sailing coach, Derry Godbert. Now retired, Mr Godbert was a science teacher at Kerikeri High who set up the school's sailing academy and the cruising club's learn to sail programme.
Godbert described Tuke as an "amazing talent" and said it had been great to see him and Burling along with Andrew Murdoch and other young sailors do so well at the Olympics, and put the success of his former charge down to huge family support, natural talent and hard work.
"He's put in such hard yards, and he's got so much ability. He's a neat guy, he responds so well to everything you suggest," Mr Godbert said.
What had really impressed him was Tuke's ability to organise himself and other sailors on the water, demonstrated when he led the Kiwi contingent at the last ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships in Perth.
Sport Northland chief executive Brent Eastwood said Tuke's achievement proved coming from a big centre was not a prerequisite for success.
"Some of the medals have come from the Invercargills, the Nelsons, and now Northland. It shows dreams can come true," he said.
"To produce 12 Olympians, the most we've had in recent years, from a population of 160,000 is a great thing. To see one, and hopefully more, go on to win a medal will be a real boost for sport in Northland."
Eastwood was delighted the pair's success had come in a sport in which Northland had traditionally excelled, and in which the region's juniors had long punched above their weight.
Tuke supporter AJ Hodges, who decorated her Kerikeri shop window with banners and photos backing the sailors, was "over the moon" with his medal. "The fact that he got there in the first place is a great achievement. To bring home silver is even better." He had trained hard, doing next to nothing else for the past four years, and his medal was well deserved, she said.
- Additional reporting by Peter de Graaf and Peter Thorley.