Zofia Wells' 2026 Tanner Cup victory places her in rare company, joining just two other women among 81 winners across more than eight decades of competition. From tricky light-air conditions to tight margins throughout the fleet, this year's regatta was decided by consistency, composure, and genuine depth of sailing skill.
The history of women in the Tanner Cup runs deep, if not wide. Jo Aleh became the first woman to win the trophy in 2002, more than half a century after the Cup's inception in 1945. Aleh went on to compete in four Olympic Games, earning medals at two of them, and later joined Emirates Team New Zealand. Eight years after Aleh's breakthrough, Erica Dawson claimed the Cup to become the second woman to win it. Dawson subsequently competed in two Olympic Games in the Nacra 17 class and was part of the Emirates Team New Zealand Women's America's Cup campaign. Wells is now the third woman to join that list.
The P Class has always been a demanding boat, widely regarded as a serious and realistic training craft for youth sailors, and the Tanner Cup is among the toughest junior sailing trophies New Zealand offers. Six races leave almost no margin for error, and the course presented plenty of moments where focus and boat control could easily slip.
Competitors this year also had to contend with unreliable breeze, with sailors constantly watchful for shifts and pressure. That Wells was able to thrive in those conditions reflects the depth of skill she has built through back-to-back Girls Optimist National Championship wins in 2024 and 2025. Her performance this week was a win on its merits, irrespective of gender.
On the opening day, Wells posted scores of 1-2-1, with Gretta Hutton taking race two. The second day proved harder to navigate, and Wells recorded a (6)-3-1, her sixth-place result discarded under the racing rules. Harry Strang won the fifth race, with Lachy Wills finishing second in that race.
Wills ultimately claimed second overall on 17 points. Behind him, the standings were closely contested, with Luca Blundell finishing third on 20 points and Gretta Hutton sixth on 23. Throughout the fleet, it was consistency rather than any single standout result that separated the sailors.
In the Centenary Cup, Hamish Brown was untouchable, winning every race, adding another mark of distinction after already claiming the 2025 Tanner Cup. Neither Flora Stevens nor Annika Wells could quite sustain the momentum they had shown on the opening day, when the two had traded second and third place across two of the three races. Stevens held on for second overall on 16 points, never finishing outside the top five on the final day. Annika Wells dropped back slightly to finish third on 21 points. Other notable performers in the Centenary Cup included Will Handley, who finished fourth after posting a 2-3 across the last two races, and Hudson Halla, who came home twelfth overall but produced a second-place finish in the final race.
With the Tanner Cup and Centenary Trophy decided, attention now turns to the Tauranga Cup, which begins tomorrow. That trophy carries its own piece of history. Over its 76-year existence it has been won by a woman on only two occasions. Leslie Egnot, a two-time Olympian and silver medallist, was the first to do so in 1979, and Katie Stewart claimed the title in 2014.
