Gisborne’s Berry third in yachting's Tanner Cup

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

AUCKLAND-based Josh Berry, representing Poverty Bay, gained third place in the Tanner Cup national interprovincial P Class championships in the Bay of Islands this week.

Last week Berry, 14, was competing in Sydney, where he and fellow Auckland sailor Henry Haslett finished second in the Australian 420 national championships.

But he was back for the start of Tanner Cup racing in the Bay of Islands on Sunday, when he faced 10 other regional representatives in light shifting winds.

He took the early lead in Race 1 and held it until, with three-quarters of the race gone, a huge wind shift allowed the bulk of the fleet past the three boats who had been leading.

After three races on Day 1, Berry held seventh place.

In yesterday’s racing, Berry was locked in a match race to the top mark with Tauranga representative Lachlan Dillon.

He rounded a close third and steadily made his way to the lead on the last leg of a shortened race.

Just as on the day before, a big wind-shift allowed the tail boats to move up, but Berry still finished second.

Three more consecutive third placings gave him third place overall and the Otago Trophy, ahead of two other North Harbour-based P Class sailors. (Berry lives in Murrays Bay in Auckland’s East Coast Bays.

Robbie McCutcheon (Wanganui-Manawatu) and Campbell Stanton (Auckland) were first and second respectively.

Second placegetter received the Gisborne Cup presented by Gisborne Mayor Harry Barker in 1961.

Berry has a lay day today, then contests the Tauranga Cup interclub P Class championships over seven races from tomorrow.

Berry has two more years to sail these events before age restrictions apply.

His membership of Gisborne Yacht Club enables him to contest these events as a Poverty Bay representative.

He will visit Gisborne to coach the club’s juniors this year.

Club vice-commodore Peter Millar said it was inspirational for young sailors for the club to have a sailor this talented at such a young age.