International Canoe World Championship - New York Cup
by Karin Knowles 16 Sep 2014 16:59 BST
15 September 2014
Start of the third and determining race for the New York Cup Challenge © Leslie Richter
The New York Cup, established in 1885 and the second oldest international sailing trophy after the America's Cup, was won by the USA International Canoe (IC) team today. IC sailors from any country can challenge the current trophy holder, and Great Britain followed tradition by challenging the USA, the cup holder since 2011. As is also tradition, the challenge itself took place the day following the IC World Championships.
Different in format from today's collegiate team racing, the New York Cup Challenge is a competition between two teams, each racing three boats, with the Cup awarded to the first team with a boat crossing the finish line first in two out of a possible three races.
Great Britain's team was composed of Alistair Warren from Saxmundham, Suffolk, Phil Robbin from Barnes, London, and Robin Wood, from Newport South Wales. The US team was composed of the new IC World Champion Mikey Radziejowski from Santa Cruz, CA, Chris Maas, from Anacortes, WA, and Del Olson, from Point Richmond, CA.
The conditions for the days' racing couldn't have been better, having moderated from the 21+ kt conditions that forced the abandonment of yesterday's final race of the IC World Championship. The first race today began in 8-knot winds and USA racer Olson led for several legs, but Warren slipped ahead to win for Great Britain.
The wind was building slowly by the start of race two, and after some fairly aggressive maneuvering on the start line, USA's Maas and Radziejowski quickly took the lead, with Maas finishing first. With the wind building to 16 kts, the same two USA boats again led throughout race three, this time with Radziejowski first across the finish line, cementing the win for the USA.