Yachting: Cole Rippey second sailor to win all six races in cup

Cole Rippey is greeted on shore by Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club commodore Gary Smith.Photo/George Novak

Tauranga sailor Cole Rippey won the 70th edition of the iconic Tanner Cup for P Class yachts with a commanding solo performance on the Tauranga Harbour over Sunday and Monday.

The 14-year-old, who sails for the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club, won all six races sailed over two days in multi-winning P Class boat Bullet against the next best seven regional yachties from throughout New Zealand.

He now has his name etched on to the famous trophy alongside such yachting illuminaries as Chris Dickson, Russell Coutts, Dean Barker, Craig Monk and Jo Aleh.

Race six was sailed in an outgoing tide with a SW dying against a sea breeze trying to get started. Kate Stewart (North Harbour) led at the first mark hotly pursued by the fleet.

A quick down wind and the fleet regrouped for a start at the bottom mark before Rippey came through with a final good windshift to win the race and regatta. Stewart was second with Jackson Keon (Northland) third. Straight off the water after his sixth victory, Rippey was his usual modest, unassuming self - attributes Coutts and Barker retained their whole careers.

"It is a good victory really. I am pretty stoked with it as it was a major ambition of mine to win it," Rippey said.

The Tanner Cup title was set up on Sunday when Rippey battled the strong outgoing current to hold off the highly regarded field.

"I was in a really good head space and concentrated hard," Rippey said.

"The other thing was the local tides and channels and being able to play them properly. It was pretty simple after a while but if you are not from here it takes a while to sink in. Winning all six is a pretty good achievement I guess. It is not what you would really expect."

The last sailor to win all six was Tauranga's Oscar Rorvik in 2009. It was fitting that Tauranga's three-time winner from the 1950s Jimmy Gilpin was in attendance over the regatta.

Rippey must be favoured to score a unique double by winning the Tauranga Cup against a much bigger field of 38 sailors over four days from Wednesday.

"I will just go out there and do my best and hope for the best."

Racing gets underway at 10.30am each day from Wednesday to Saturday on Tauranga Harbour off Sulphur Point.