HARKEN New Zealand Match Racing Championship profile – Josh Hyde
After a runner’s up medal in the 2021 Harken National Secondary Schools Keelboat Championship, and a hard fought 4thplace in December’s Auckland Match Racing Championship, the Yosemite Sam Racing Team of Josh Hyde, Nick Drummond, Cody Coughlan and Tom Maiden are looking to build on recent successes and have a strong showing throughout this year’s Harken New Zealand Match Racing Championships.
“We have just started to come into the match racing circuit, after sailing a lot of dinghy boats previously, and my team has been doing all the match racing regattas we can do” says Josh
Josh has had a very successful dinghy career, having won the 2017 Sir Peter Blake Trophy, the 2019 RS Feva National Championships and competed internationally across Optimist’s, Open Skiff’s and RS Feva’s. He was also given the opportunity to sail alongside the AC75’s in Bermuda while there competing in the 2016 Junior Gold Cup.
“We’re really looking to improve and learn in this year’s regatta, and see what we can take out of racing some of New Zealand’s top teams so we can learn more for further events”, says Hyde.
Josh’s recent match racing performances in 2021 and the “competitive aspect of big fleets” throughout his dinghy sailing career will come in handy for Josh with this weekend’s step up in competition.
“Yosemite Sam Racing has been doing all the match racing regattas we can do, and the last few match racing events have allowed us to get more experience so we are looking forward to comparing ourselves against the top teams”
Josh, Nick, Cody and Tom are looking to target the Harken Youth International Match Racing Championshjp and the Youth National Match Racing Championship later in the year, with their ultimate goal being sailing overseas with more international regattas on the horizon.
“The team is looking to use this week to learn from the best match racing teams New Zealand has to offer, and to learn a few tips and tricks we see others using”.
Josh and the Yosemite Sam team is are looking for consistency by backing up the performances that qualified them for the Harken New Zealand Match Racing Championships over the next few days, and we look forward to seeing them back on the water around the country this year.
