P-Class 2026-2027
New Zealand junior sailing · 2026–2027
P Class sailing 2026–2027
Follow New Zealand’s P Class season, from regional championships and provincial trials to the Tanner and Tauranga Cups. Find event coverage, sailor results and the story behind this distinctive Kiwi dinghy.
Follow the season
P Class events, coverage and results
Find dates, venues, previews and race reports together below. Coverage stays visible beneath each event.
10–11 October 2026
Wihau Shield and Secretary’s Cup
Saturday’s fleet racing selects five sailors for Sunday’s Wihau Shield final, where they swap boats. The remaining sailors contest the Secretary’s Cup.
Results: Wihau Shield: Zofia Wells, Luca Blundell, Will Handley. Secretary’s Cup: Lewis Snape, Blake Duncan, Hugh Kensington.
Zofia Wells goes one better to win the Wihau Shield
Zofia Wells wins the Wihau Shield’s boat swapping final in Tauranga. Lewis Snape takes the Secretary’s Cup.
Read article →
Swap boats and a 13kg shield: the Wihau Shield returns to Tauranga
Five P Class sailors will swap boats for the historic Wihau Shield. Tauranga hosts the fleet on 10 and 11 October.
Read article →24–25 October 2026
North Island Championships
The North Island fleet meets at Ōkahu Bay for two days of championship racing.
Results: Lewis Snape won on 19 points. Hugh Kensington finished second and Will Handley third, both on 22 points.
Secretary’s Cup to North Island champion: Lewis Snape wins the P Class title
Lewis Snape wins the 2026 Harken P Class North Island Championships at Royal Akarana, two weeks after taking the Secretary’s Cup in Tauranga.
Read article →
Wills, Blundell or Snape? The P Class North Islands crown is wide open
Royal Akarana hosts the North Island Championships on 24 and 25 October, with last year’s podium absent.
Read article →31 October–1 November 2026
Canterbury P Class Championships
The Canterbury P Class title forms part of Christchurch Yacht Club’s Graham Mander Regatta on the Avon Heathcote Estuary.
Event coverage will appear here as it is published.
13 November 2026 · Programme to be confirmed
Canterbury P Class trials
The Canterbury Yachting Association programme lists P Class trials at Naval Point on 13 November. The detailed programme remains to be confirmed.
Event coverage will appear here as it is published.
14–15 November 2026
Auckland P Class Championships
Auckland’s regional championship gives the P Class fleet another opportunity to race before December’s trials and January’s nationals.
Event coverage will appear here as it is published.
21 November 2026
Sally Beveridge P Class Trophy
The Sally Beveridge Trophy is the P Class competition within Christchurch Yacht Club’s Beveridge Trophy day. This is a club trophy event.
Event coverage will appear here as it is published.
12 December 2026
Tanner Cup trials at Kohimarama
Provincial selection racing helps decide which sailors progress to the Tanner Cup. Kohimarama’s trials take place on Saturday 12 December.
Event coverage will appear here as it is published.
4–6 January 2027 · Tanner measurement on 4 January
Tanner Cup and Centenary Trophy
The Tanner Cup brings together provincial qualifiers. The Centenary Trophy runs alongside it, ahead of the open Tauranga Cup championship.
Event coverage will appear here as it is published.
7–9 January 2027 · Tauranga Cup measurement on 6 January
Tauranga Cup
The open P Class national championship brings the fleet together for three days of racing on Tauranga Harbour.
Event coverage will appear here as it is published.
2027 · Date to be confirmed
P Class Freshwater Intergalactics
Pupuke lists the 2027 P Class Freshwater Intergalactics in its season results centre. The racing date is still to be confirmed.
Event coverage will appear here as it is published.
Other P Class events
Further regional racing and regatta reports will appear here as coverage is published.
More coverage to come.
Dates reflect the published club programmes. Check the official event page for programme changes. Pupuke’s event will move into date order once its date is confirmed.
The sailors through the season
P Class season results 2026–2027
Follow each sailor’s reported placings across the season. These are individual event results, with no combined season ranking.
Showing all 36 sailors.
Scroll sideways on smaller screens. The sailor’s name stays visible.
| Sailor |
Wihau qualifying
10 October |
Wihau Shield final
11 October |
Secretary’s Cup
10–11 October |
North Islands
24–25 October |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ally Burfoot | 3rd | 5th | – | – |
| Amiya Kattera | 14th | – | 9th | 17th |
| Annika Wells | 8th | – | 7th | 12th |
| Asha Satterthwaite | 17th | – | 19th | 23rd |
| Ben Radich | – | – | – | 27th |
| Blake Duncan | 13th | – | 2nd | – |
| Casey Fitness | – | – | – | 20th |
| Charlie Haxton | 20th | – | 16th | 19th |
| Dallas Noyer | – | – | – | 11th |
| Flora Stevens | 19th | – | 4th | – |
| Harry Strang | 9th | – | 12th | – |
| Henry Hall | – | – | – | 9th |
| Hudson Halla | 11th | – | 8th | 14th |
| Hugh Kensington | 10th | – | 3rd | 2nd |
| James Garnham | 15th | – | 10th | 6th |
| Jasmine Fry | – | – | – | 25th |
| Lauchy Wills | – | – | – | 4th |
| Lauren Arnold | – | – | – | 13th |
| Leo Wills | – | – | – | 16th |
| Lewis Snape | 6th | – | 1st | 1st |
| Luca Blundell | 1st | 2nd | – | 5th |
| Micah Bollen | 4th | 4th | – | – |
| Michael Schierhout | – | – | – | 24th |
| Milla Holland | 18th | – | 11th | 22nd |
| Noah Petersen | 12th | – | 5th | 7th |
| Philippa Wiltshire | – | – | – | 8th |
| Ruby Peters | – | – | – | 21st |
| Scotty Dawson | 22nd | – | 22nd | – |
| Summer Torbet | – | – | – | 26th |
| Theo Dacre | 7th | – | 6th | 10th |
| Tom Sanderson | – | – | – | 15th |
| Tyler Campbell | 16th | – | 14th | – |
| Will Handley | 2nd | 3rd | – | 3rd |
| Xavier Andrews | – | – | – | 18th |
| Zac Loader | 21st | – | 21st | – |
| Zofia Wells | 5th | 1st | – | – |
– indicates no placing shown for that competition. It includes nonparticipation, nonqualification and unavailable results.
The five Wihau Shield finalists show – in the Secretary’s Cup column. They sailed the separate final on Sunday. The Secretary’s Cup sheet also lists them with DNC scores for its final four races.
Wihau qualifying and Secretary’s Cup placings come from the published provisional sheets. The Wihau final is final. North Island placings cover the 27 sailors listed in our report; the official sheet lists 33 entries. This is a growing record, rather than a complete attendance list.
Results are entered editorially as each event finishes. New article cards update separately.
A New Zealand sailing original
The P Class: a small boat with a big history
What is a P Class boat?
The P Class is a small sailing dinghy designed for one person. Its short hull, distinctive blunt bow and single sail make it instantly recognisable.
At just over two metres long, it rewards careful balance and precise boat handling. Small changes in weight position and sail trim make a noticeable difference.
The sailor controls the mainsail, rudder and centreboard. There is no crew to share the work or correct a mistake.
That combination makes the P Class a demanding teacher. Racing develops judgement, coordination and the ability to keep a small boat moving through changing conditions.
P Class specifications
| Designer | Harry Highet, New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Length | 2.134m, approximately seven feet |
| Minimum stripped hull weight | 38.5kg |
| Crew | One sailor |
| Rig | One Bermudan mainsail |
| Foils | Centreboard and rudder |
| Construction | Wooden and fibreglass boats |
From Tauranga to clubs around New Zealand
Harry Highet developed the design in the early 1920s. It became established on Tauranga Harbour and was originally known as the Tauranga Class.
Its compact size made it practical for young sailors, while its handling demanded skills that carried into bigger boats.
The design spread through New Zealand clubs. Wooden boats later shared the start line with fibreglass hulls, while rigs and equipment evolved.
The boat’s essential character endured: a small dinghy that asks its sailor to think, balance and react.
The trophies at the heart of the class
Provincial competition developed before the Second World War. Racing resumed in 1945 with the Tanner Cup, named for trophy donor George Tanner.
The Tauranga Cup developed alongside it and remains the open national championship. The Tanner Cup provides the provincial contest, with places determined through regional qualification.
Regional championships and distinctive events such as the Wihau Shield give the class its wider season. Together, they keep a century of Kiwi dinghy sailing alive.
The full collection
All P Class articles
Read our P Class previews, race reports and stories here, including coverage from earlier seasons.
Secretary’s Cup to North Island champion: Lewis Snape wins the P Class title
Lewis Snape wins the 2026 Harken P Class North Island Championships at Royal Akarana, two weeks after taking the Secretary’s Cup in Tauranga.
Read article →Wills, Blundell or Snape? The P Class North Islands crown is wide open
Royal Akarana hosts the North Island Championships on 24 and 25 October, with last year’s podium absent.
Read article →Zofia Wells goes one better to win the Wihau Shield
Zofia Wells wins the Wihau Shield’s boat swapping final in Tauranga. Lewis Snape takes the Secretary’s Cup.
Read article →Swap boats and a 13kg shield: the Wihau Shield returns to Tauranga
Five P Class sailors will swap boats for the historic Wihau Shield. Tauranga hosts the fleet on 10 and 11 October.
Read article →
P Class Nationals return to Tauranga in January with two titles up for grabs
The PredictWind P Class Nationals return to Tauranga from 5 to 9 January 2026, with both the Tanner Cup and Tauranga Cup up for grabs.
Read article →Latest published coverage. Checking for more articles…