KEY POINTS:
Adam Minoprio can probably recall every bend, bridge and bakery from Taupo to Auckland.
With the family car loaded, an Optimist strapped on the back - the Minoprio family would make their way north to Auckland most summer weekends so young Adam could test himself against the competition
at the Murray's Bay Sailing Club.
It may have been a bit of a drag at the time but those trips seem to be paying off.
Minoprio will line up in next week's New Zealand match racing championships then flit off to Malaysia, where he will compete in the richest sailing event in the world - the Monsoon Cup. The winner will walk away with close to $135,000.
He was invited to compete after winning the Asian match racing championships and will race America's Cup sailors Peter Holmberg (Alinghi), James Spithill (Luna Rossa), Sebastian Col (Areva Challenge), Paolo Cian (Shosholoza) and BMW Oracle Racing founder and owner Larry Ellison.
The regatta will be Minoprio's first on the world match racing circuit and first grade-one event.
Nervous? Hardly.
Minoprio was born in Whangarei. His early childhood was spent on a farm in Dargaville although parents Sally and Chris were keen sailors and the family would go cruising around the Bay of Islands and Great Barrier.
His brothers are also keen yachtsmen. Matt, 25, did an Olympic campaign in the 470 class and now works on a superyacht.
Simon, 23, is strictly a rival. He is 14th in the world match racing rankings and will also compete in next week's New Zealand championships.
"We are very competitive," says Adam. "When we are racing each other there is a lot of trash talk at home."
The family moved from Whangarei to Tauranga, then Taupo before settling in Auckland when Minoprio was about 12. It was in Taupo sailing became "serious" for Minoprio hence the trips to Auckland to sharpen his skills.
He won the Optimist nationals and the P class Tanner Cup before moving into the Starling then 29ers.
In his mid-teens Minoprio, whose sailing heroes are Russell Coutts and the late Sir Peter Blake, enrolled in the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's youth training programme which aims to give young sailors (under the age of 21) training in all aspects of keelboat racing. Among the notable graduates are Gavin Brady, Cameron Appleton and Carl Williams.
Minoprio spent three years on the programme.
After graduating 18 months ago Minoprio teamed up with fellow graduates Dave Swete, Josh Puckey, Tom Powrie and Nick Blackman and formed a match racing team called Blackmatch.
"We are a group of mates who got together and have been doing regattas around the world whenever we can."
Over the past year the team have racked up some pretty good results including a win in the Warren Jones Youth regatta in Australia, a second in the Knickerbocker Cup in New York and a sixth in the Open de Espana in Spain.
But their most pleasing result came in the recent Asian Nationals where they beat Singapore skipper Tan Wearn Haw 5-0 in the final to win the event and a place in the Monsoon Cup.
Minoprio is currently ranked 50th in the world. He needs to be in the top 20 to compete in grade one and grade two events.
The world match racing circuit is a professional sailing series featuring America's Cup teams, Olympic Gold medallists and world champions. Skippers have to be invited to participate.
To get to the next level Minoprio said he needed more funding.
"We need funding so we can do more regattas and develop. The more sailing you do the better you get. At the moment we are struggling to afford to get to the regattas."
He estimates it would cost about $60,000 a year to get to all the regattas they want to. But despite his cash problems Minoprio has still set himself some short-term goals.
"I want to get into the top 20 rankings then try to get on the world match racing tour. Then, in five years time, I want to win it."
But first is next week's New Zealand championships where he is aiming for a top-five finish. Not an easy task considering his opponents include Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker, BMW Oracle Racing skipper Chris Dickson and Gavin Brady.
"It will be a huge challenge," he says. Does he feel just a little intimidated? "Nah, it's good to be able to take them on."
THE CV
Adam Minoprio
Age: 21
Born: Whangarei
Lives: Milford, Auckland
Occupation: Engineering student
Career highlights
2006: Asian match racing champs, 1st.
2006: Open de Espana, 6th
2006: New York, Knickerbocker Cup, grade two event, 2nd
2006: Warren Jones Youth regatta, Australia, 1st
2005: Australian Nationals, 4th
MATCH POINTS
New Zealand match racing championships
To be held off the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Qualifier series, November 16-19
1 Laurie Jury (RNZYS), 2 Graeme Sutherland (Akarana), 3 Jan Dawson (RNZYS), 4 David Wood (RNZYS), 5 Michael Thorpe (RNZYS), 6 Andrew Barron (RAYC)
Main series, November 23-26
1 Dean Barker (Emirates Team New Zealand, right)
Terry Hutchinson, Don Cowie, James Dagg, Jeremy Lomas.
2 Simon Dickey (RNZYS)
Dallas Bennett, Richard James, Jared Hendersen, Michael Naulls.
3 Phil Robertson (RNZYS Youth Training Programme), Reuban Corbett, Guy Endean, Garth Ellingham, Hamish Crossen
4 Chris Dickson (BMW Oracle Racing, right)
Paul Westlake, Jann Neergaard, Zach Hurst, Kazuhiko Sofuku
5 Simon Minoprio (RNZYS)
Ryan Houston, Ian Gordon, Stu Molloy, Sam Tucker
6 Adam Minoprio (RNZYS)
Dave Swete, Josh Puckey, Tom Powrie, Nick Blackman
7 Gavin Brady (Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club)
Rod Dawson, Sean Clarkson, John Zinkind, Ed Smyth
8 Scott Dickson (Long Bay Yacht Club)
Guy Pilkington, Greg Weeger, Ben Costello, Dave Millar.
9 & 10 (Top two skippers from qualifier series)