Auckland teenager Jo Aleh yesterday became the first girl to get her hands on the Tanner Cup since the P-class regatta began in 1945 - and she did it with a race to spare.
Tomorrow she will try to emulate America's Cup stars Chris Dickson and Dean Barker in taking the
Tauranga Cup double in Wellington.
Jo Aleh, who lives at Muriwai Beach, had three wins and an unassailable lead going into the final day of competition.
From a family with no history in yachting, the 15-year-old said she took up sailing four years ago, inspired by Team New Zealand winning the America's Cup in 1995.
"It looked like fun, so I thought I'd give it a go," she said.
Jo Aleh has her sights set on competing at the Olympics, but first there is the none-too-small matter of a P-class trophy double that Dickson (1977), Barker (1988) and Mark Kennedy (1998) also achieved.
The Tauranga Cup, which started in 1940, will be much tougher to win as it is contested over nine races and has a field of 87.
The Tanner Cup, donated by Wellingtonian George Tanner for inter-provincial competition, included six races for just 12 entrants.
- NZPA
