Powrie and her sailing partner Jo Aleh, who were known as "Team Jolly", won the gold medal in the 470 class at the 2012 Summer Olympics. In August 2013, exactly a year after winning their Olympic gold medal, Aleh and Powrie won the world title at the 2013 470 World Championships in La Rochelle, France. She and Aleh were named ISAF Female Sailor of the Year, the first New Zealand women to win that award.