Jo Aleh sat glued to her television set during the 1995 America's Cup.
Overawed by the size of the yachts and the tactical nous needed to make them work, Aleh immediately nagged her non-sailing parents to let her take lessons.
They did, and seven years later, the 18-year-old is NewZealand's latest hotshot on the water.
Starting out in the Optimist, Aleh became the top female in the class before progressing into the P-class where she won the Tanner Cup, the first girl to win it.
Then it was into the Starling, where she was the first woman home and fourth overall in last year's nationals.
Last year she finished an impressive sixth in the Laser Radial class at the world youth championships.
Last weekend she took out the silver medal in the event, fending off 31 other sailors.
While she puts her jump from sixth to second down to "a lot of hard work", New Zealand coach Paul Page believes Aleh is a gifted athlete.
Aleh, who is in her final year at Westlake Girls High School, is having a break from the water to concentrate on bursary where she is studying mathematics with calculus, physics, chemistry and physical education.
With her eye on the next Olympics, the path she will take to get there will become clearer in November when it is decided which boat will represent the women's single-handed class.
At the moment it is the Europe dinghy but that may change to the Byte or even the Laser Radial.
"So once I find that out I can start training," she said.
Aleh has also expressed an interest in moving into the mistral class.
JO ALEH
Age: 18
Lives: Muriwai, Auckland.
Career highlights:
2004: Silver medal in the Laser Radial class at the youth world championships in Poland.
2003: First woman and fourth overall in the Starling Nationals.
2003: First in Europe class in New Zealand Youthsail.
2003: Sixth in the Laser Radial class at the youth world championships.
2002: Won the P-class Tanner Cup, first female to do so.
