America's Cup 2021: Peter Burling's journey from young sailor to Auld Mug champion

Peter Burling is the man of the moment and the man with nerves of steel.

Quite simply, he's the best, and it all began at the local yacht club in Tauranga

As much of the country celebrates on Wednesday night following Team New Zealand's win, there's sure to be a champagne or two in Tauranga.

Wednesday's win marks another high in the 30-year-old's illustrious career.

He's the captain, the skipper, the helmsman, and once again, he's our champion. Peter Burling - back on top.

This win isn't Burling's first in the America's Cup - he helped snatch the Auld Mug off Oracle in Bermuda.

But for his family watching Wednesday's win at the Viaduct, this campaign has been something different.

Brother Scott has spent every day watching his little brother lead the team.

He admits he has been a bit of a nervous wreck.

"Things can go wrong very quickly. It's never over until the boat crosses the line," Scott says.

Nerves weren't hard to find in Tauranga on Wednesday too, back where it all started.

Burling spent almost every day down at the yacht club growing up.

"I knew him when he started here as a little sailor," one person at the yacht club says.

"I always thought he'd do well and his hard work is paying off," another says.

At one point as a youngster he even sailed alongside Dean Barker, the helmsman he would later replace.

"As a young fella, as a sailor, he certainly had a spark and had something different to the rest of us," says Gary Smith, former commodore of the Tauranga Yacht Club.

Burling has since gone on to win world championships, even Olympic gold, and now his second America's Cup, and he's not done just yet.

This is a victory Burling will surely savour for now, but it won't last long. In a matter of weeks, his attention will turn to the Tokyo Olympics that are starting in July.

But right now, it's all about celebrating.