The Douglas Cup recipient: the Premier Yachting team

The Douglas Cup is for the best sporting performance of the year – for the best individual performance in any sport whilst representing the School, and the 2024 recipient is the Premier Yachting team, consisting of M. X. M Porteous, T. G. E. Pilkington, G. R. J. Turner, O. J. Stone, A. B. Cooke, H. G. Smith, and 2024 captain S. W. Kensington.

It has been an impressive year for the Premier Yachting team with multiple achievements, concluding with winning the Interdominion as the New Zealand representative in October.

The year started with strong performances to win the New Zealand Harken Schools title, the Auckland Fleet regatta in April, closely followed by the winning of the Auckland Cup for teams racing. This win secured their position at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships held in New Plymouth in the Term 1 holidays. 

At the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships, the team dominated the first-round robin without a single defeat and secured a commanding two-win lead amidst brisk conditions. Despite facing challenges in the subsequent round robin with lighter and more variable breezes, the Grammar team maintained their lead, conceding only two races. Entering the decisive round robin, they required just four wins out of seven to secure victory, which they accomplished with two races to spare to be crowned the National Champions for 2024.

Racing against the top Australian crews at the Interdominion regatta, the team won 17 of their 20 races to secure the trophy for the first time since 2002. This concluded a perfect season, unmatched in the team’s history, where they have won every title they contested.

These performances from the Premier Yachting team make them worthy winners of the Douglas Cup, received by captain Sean Kensington (pictured above with guest presenter, Old Boy Hamish Kerr ’10).