If you can sail a P Class you can sail Anything!  This boat can be a handful!

The Mighty P Class is a racing dinghy that is etched in New Zealand yacht racing history, designed by Harry Highet in 1923 with the best ever sailors having been through the class from Russell Coutts to Jo Aleh and Peter Burling.  The class has stood the test of time with the aid of a tight set of class rules that have been carefully amended over the years to allow the yacht to benefit from changing technology whilst maintaining its integrity as a tight one design class.

The P Class is generally accepted as an add on to and the next step up from the Optimist. Most skippers are between the ages of 11 and 15 years. The maximum age for P Class skippers is 16 years.  The ideal weight is between 42 and 52 kg, although sailors below and above these weights can also excel with great technique.

The move from the Optimist to the P Class allows young sailors to develop their knowledge and skills in sail trim and boat handling. 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 tuning; aspects which are not as critical on the more stable and simply rigged Optimist. 

Club racing takes place most Sundays Pre Christmas only. All P Class skippers are encouraged to sail in as many external regattas as possible as it is by experiencing competition in different waters and against different competitors that improvements in performance are made. 

The Club runs an active training programme Pre Christmas for their general development as well as their build up towards the Nationals in January each year.   

The most important events in the P Class calendar are the Tanner Cup (interprovincial) and the Tauranga Cup (open National Champs).

If you have any queries relating to the P Class at Murrays Bay Sailing Club, please contact the club manager email: mbsc.manager@gmail.com and they will put you in touch with the class rep.

You can find lots of information about the P class history here

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