Reuben Corbett, Black Sheep Racing NZ, wins The Knickerbocker Cup

Reuben Corbett, Bradley Farrand, Miles Addy & Tom Bentham (all graduates of the RNZYS Lion Foundation Youth Training Programme) win The 2009 Knickerbocker Cup

Report by Andrea Watson agwatson@sailingpress.com

Reuben Corbett, Black Sheep Racing (NZ) and his crew Miles Addy, Brad Farrand, Tom Bentham, have won the 2009 Knickerbocker Cup. After placing 6th in the full round robin and winning the semi-finals in a tie breaker, Corbett went on the capture the Cup in a tight matches with Dave Perry (USA), Team Perry, beating the American 3-2. Phil Robertson (NZ), Waka Racing, beat out Keith Swinton (AUS), Black Swan Match Racing, in the petit finals.
Wind on Manhasset Bay was zero to light in the morning, forcing the Race Committee to postpone racing until just about mid-day. With time now becoming a factor, and the wind not cooperating, the Race Committee and Chief Umpire proposed to the competitors that there would be no warning signal after 3:15 pm and all competitors agreed. It was Perry vs. Robertson in a first to 3 match, with Perry beating Robertson 2-0.

Corbett gets pass into finals

The other match was Swinton vs. Corbett and the score was 1-1, when time ran out and the third match cancelled. The tie was broken in favor of Corbett based on his quarter finals position (4-1) against Swinton (2-3). Corbett got the pass to the finals and Swinton moved into the petit finals.
Wind finally picked up on the bay and the finals and petit finals were hard fought and exciting. Robertson quickly beat Swinton in the first match 2-0. Not so the match between Perry and Corbett. In the first to 3, Perry won the first match, Corbett the next two. Perry, that master of pulling off miracles, came roaring back to win match 3 after dominating the start. Score was now 2-2. It came down to the fifth and last race to determine who would win the Cup. It was match racing at its finest, pitting the US against the New Zealanders. Corbett led at the start and kept his lead throughout the match, racing to victory and winning the 2009 Knickerbocker Cup.
According to Corbett, “The biggest thing was to make sure we improved throughout the regatta. In particular on the last day, we had to sail to the puffs. It was really shifty, and we had 3 of the 4 on our team calling the shifts.” Obviously their strategy worked, for now Corbett will have his name engraved on the Knickerbocker Cup along with others who have gone on to fame in the match racing world: Paul Cayard, Ed Baird, Russell Coutts, Terry Hutchinson, Peter Gilmour, and Dave Perry, who won the event in 1988 and 1992.
The Knickerbocker Cup is a qualifier for the World Match Racing Tour, with the winner gaining an automatic entry to the King Edward VII Gold Cup in Bermuda, one of the most prestigious match racing events on the Tour. With Corbett’s win here in Manhasset
Bay, he and his team will be in Bermuda this coming October and will find out how they stand up against the best ISAF ranked match racers in the world.
Thomson Reuters is a major sponsor of the 2009 Knickerbocker Cup. The world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals, Thomson Reuters combines industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, scientific, healthcare and media markets.
For more information: www.manhassetbayyc.org
2009 Knickerbocker Cup - FINAL RESULTS
1.Reuben Corbett (NZ)
2.Dave Perry (USA)
3.Phil Robertson (NZ)
4.Keith Swinton (AUS)
5.Rick Fornander (SWE)
6.Anna Tunnicliffe (USA)
7.Sally Barkow (USA)
8.Taylor Canfield (ISV)
9.Laurie Jury (NZ)
10.Chris Van Tol (USA)
11.Juan Grimaldi (ARG)
12.Jakub Pawluk (POL)