Toyota NZ Optimist Nationals New Plymouth YC - Day 4 - Historic win for Zofia Wells.
by Sail-World.com/nz 8 Apr 00:47 AEST
4-7 April 2026
Zofia Wells (GBC) (nearest the camera) - 2026 Toyota NZ Optimist National Open champion - New Plymouth YC - Day 2 - April 5, 2026 © Billy Preston
Glendowie BC's Zofia Wells (15yrs) has added the NZ Open Optimist title to her already impressive record, in multiple classes. She dominated the Optimist fleet, winning seven of the 11 races in which she sailed.
She adds the NZ Nationals trophy to her growing collection. Her achievements in the past 12 months include winning the 2026 Tanner Cup—the NZ interclub Open regatta in P-class. In France, at the 2025 RS Feva World Championship, she was the skipper of the crew which won the Open womens championship. They also finished second overall in the Open fleet, at the 2025 Worlds.
The light winds that have dominated the 2026 Optimist Nationals gave way to gusts of 20 kts on the final day. Wells proved to be more than competitive in the 43-boat Gold fleet, winning the last race of the series. It was her seventh win of the 11 races she sailed. That last race win increased her winning margin to 18 points over Napier Sailing Club's Blake Duncan. He also had a good day in the fresher breeze, winning the first of three races sailed, and placing second in Race 10.
Jake Dickey (also from Napier SC) had a consistent day to be 6 points behind Duncan for third overall.
Ally Burfoot (Tauranga) had been in the top three until the final day, but dropped back to fourth overall. She still achieved a massive improvement over the last 12 months, moving up 50 places from 6th in the Silver fleet at the 2025 Optimist Nationals.
In the White fleet for developing sailors, Carter Jack (Murrays Bay SC) took the title by 6pts over Ellie McDowell (Tauranga YPBC) and Missy Renall (Wakatere BC). McDowell and Renall were tied on overall points. McDowell won second place after the prescribed tie-breaking mechanism was applied.
The performance of female sailors was a notable feature of the regatta. Two girls are in the top four in the Gold fleet. The White fleet saw a similar story. The top four places were evenly split between male and female sailors.
Zofia Wells became the first sailor to achieve the three-peat for the top female trophy, the Briar Dye Hutchinson Cup. Remarkably, she is also the first female winner of the Open Optimist national championship since it was held in 1997 at Auckland's Kohimarama Yacht Club.
The New Plymouth regatta was sailed in Open, Green, and White fleets. There were 153 boat entries from four countries: New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and France/New Caledonia.
Of the international entries, Jack McGuire (Royal Queensland) is the top international competitor, finishing 9th overall. Leo Gillard (SRC Noumea) remained in his overnight place of 14th overall, with Carli Brodie (Laucala Bay, Fiji) in 33rd in the 43-boat Silver fleet.
For full results in all fleets www.sailwave.com/results/NPYC
Photos and videos available on Facebook and Instagram @npyachtclub or in 'Event Photos' on the regatta website www.npyc.co.nz/events/opti-nats