P Class

The P Class was designed in 1923 by Harry Highet and it is, without doubt, the most enduring of all junior classes. It is sometimes said that if you can sail a P Class you can sail anything. It is certainly true that the success which New Zealand has had in international youth and virtually every famous New Zealand yachtsman, including Sir Peter Blake, Russell Coutts and Dean Barker, is due in part to the good grounding in the boat handling skills provided by the P Class.

The move from the Optimist to the P Class allows young sailors to develop their knowledge and skills in sail trim and boat handling. Sailors generally start sailing P Class from age 11-16 years and Wakatere has produced a number of National Champions. Whilst the P Class offers a challenging platform on which to develop sailing skills, it is also very rewarding as sailors learn the benefits of body position, boating handling, sail trim and rig tune, aspects which are not as critical on the more stable and simply rigged Optimist.
The most important events in the P Class calendar are the Tanner Cup (Interprovincial) and Tauranga Cup (National Championships). These two competitions are held in early January and this season will be held at Murrays Bay. All P Class skippers are eligible to sail in the Tauranga cup.

The Tanner Cup involves having one representative from each province racing for New Zealand's foremost P Class trophy. These representatives are selected from trials held every year in each province.

If you have a P Class already or are looking to move into the Class, please indicate your interest in joining with others or feel free to ask any questions to our P Class representative, John Adair on 445 1047 or adairjt@gmail.com .