He may only be 15, but you get the feeling that Auckland yachtie Carl Evans already possesses determination in spades.
Take four years ago. Evans, already an avid yachting fan, had his family lined up on Orakei Wharf at 4am to watch the round-the-world race fleet sail into Auckland.
His
appetite still not quenched, he begged his mother Louise to escort him down to the team's bases in the viaduct where he got to meet his all-time hero and now Emirates Team New Zealand boss, Grant Dalton.
Ask Evans now what his long-term goals are, and sailing around the world is right up there with competing in the Olympics.
He recently claimed the P-Class double, winning the interprovincial Tanner Cup and the Tauranga Cup which were both sailed in New Plymouth.
The P-Class is New Zealand's oldest junior sailing dinghy for sailors aged up to 16. The Tauranga Cup was first held in 1940 and is recognised as a benchmark for young sailors.
Previous winners include Chris Dickson, Craig Monk, Dean Barker and Russell Coutts.
In the Tauranga Cup, Evans ended the regatta with a perfect score, winning all seven races after the regatta was cut short due to bad weather.
He finished second to North Harbour's Paul Snow-Hansen in both regattas last year. This year it was Snow-Hansen's turn to finish second in both events.
Evans said old-fashioned hard work was behind his success.
"I trained really hard, so that is where I think I got the jump on them. I have trained five days a week for the last three months and I did a bit of running to get fit."
Hailing from a non-sailing family, Evans' interest in the sport came through the Waterwise educational programme at Titirangi Primary where children are introduced to plastic Optimists.
He then joined the Kohimarama Yacht Club and has since competed overseas in three Optimist events.
He finished 55th in the 2004 worlds in Ecuador and last year was 19th in the North American Championships and 14th in the worlds in Switzerland.
New Zealand were the top-placed country in the Ecuador regatta and the third-best country in Switzerland.
Evans is coached by former Olympian Simon Cooke and John Morgan, and his time in the P-Class has now come to end - he is moving on to the Starlings and 420s.
He is currently competing in the under-19 division at the Starling Nationals, which are also in New Plymouth.
His aims this year are to qualify for the youth worlds and open worlds in the 420 class.
"When Carl sets a goal he'll do everything possible to get there," his mother Louise said.
"That is just the way he is."
Youngsters get the sails pitch
Up-and-coming sailors will match their skills against Olympians Bruce and Barbara Kendall and Aaron McIntosh at the launch of Yachting New Zealand's Sailing ... Have A Go programme in Auckland.
Yachting New Zealand and the Team New Zealand Trust 2000 are running the programme, which is designed to give more New Zealand children the chance to experience sailing.
The initiative will involve a large trailer unit, complete with Optimist yachts and double-handed cadet dinghies, visiting schools nationwide.
A sailing instructor will work with 12 intermediate-aged school children at a time to teach them the basics.
The Team NZ Trust was established following the America's Cup challenge in 1995 and defence in 2000. Its purpose is to distribute surplus funds to chosen charities and charitable projects.
The programme supports Sir Peter Blake's vision that all New Zealand children, regardless of background, should have a chance to experience sailing.
The initiative will be launched at Auckland's Royal Akarana Yacht Club on January 21.
The event will feature a festival race between some of New Zealand's top sailors, including McIntosh and the Kendalls, and some of New Zealand's future stars in the sport.
The programme will be introduced to the Auckland and Northland regions initially, before expanding into central and southern regions in 2007.
* What: The launch of the Sailing ... Have A Go programme
* When: January 21
* Where: Royal Akarana Yacht Club, Auckland
* Time: 1pm to 4pm
Carl Evans winning the Tauranga Cup held at New Plymouth
He may only be 15, but you get the feeling that Auckland yachtie Carl Evans already possesses determination in spades.
Take four years ago. Evans, already an avid yachting fan, had his family lined up on Orakei Wharf at 4am to watch the round-the-world race fleet sail into Auckland.
His
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