Yachting:Sam joins a select band of yachties

By SUZANNE McFADDEN

Eleven-year-old Sam Thom has achieved what his sailing father and grandfather could only dream of doing - steering an America's Cup yacht.

Sam spent seven hours on board Team New Zealand's latest defence boat, NZL60, priming himself for a future in cup racing.

The St Kentigern School pupil got behind the wheel of the black boat and steered it to and from the Hauraki Gulf course under the watchful eye of tactician Brad Butterworth.

Sam was named the young sailor most likely to sail for Team New Zealand in the future, at last year's national Optimist dinghy championships.

Team New Zealand decided to speed the process up a little, and invited him on board for a day.

He comes from a family of distinguished Kiwi sailors. His father, Murray, still holds the record as the youngest sailor to win the P-class national title, as a 12-year-old.

His grandfather, Neville Thom, won the Sanders Cup, the national Javelin class title.

Sam was part of the crew in two races between the new Black Magics on Monday. One of the races was over a full America's Cup course, and the tiny Thom was 17th man - the observer at the back of the shuddering boat.

"You have to hold on tight to a metal pole if there's a big gust of wind, but it's really fun," he said.

"I loved steering the boat out to the racecourse. The boat is really big, but its actually quite easy to steer."

At the end of the day's racing, his dad was hoisted to the top of the mast.

Sam said: "I was a bit worried about my dad. It's really high up there."

His sailing hero is not Russell Coutts or Butterworth or any other America's Cup yachtie. It is his 14-year-old cousin, Brad Thom, who won the trials for the P-class Tanner Cup last weekend.