Cheers rang out and corks popped at Blair Tuke's sailing club in Kerikeri as Team New Zealand crossed the finish line in Bermuda this morning to take out world's top yachting trophy.
Because the club doesn't have Sky, Tuke's supporters had to watch delayed coverage of this morning's win. They tried to keep the outcome a surprise, but fireworks and car horns sounding across the Kerikeri Inlet gave a strong hint at which way the race had gone.
About 35 people gathered at Kerikeri Cruising Club, where Team NZ sailors Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney first learned to sail.
Among those watching the win were Derry Godbert, the legendary coach who gave Tuke and Maloney their start in sailing.
A proud Godbert recalled Tuke's start in sailing as a boy of 9 or 10 on nearby Lake Manuwai.
He said he was impressed not just by the sailors' skill and composure on the water, but also their excellent team spirit on land.
