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RNZYS PP VENTO RACING KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK TO WIN USA GRAND SLAM

 In International Events, Performance Programme

RNZYS Performance Programme Team Vento Racing have won the USA Match Racing Grand Slam after taking out the final event of the series, the Thompson Cup, at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in New York.

Jordan Stevenson, George Angus, Jake Erson, Mitch Jackson and RNZYS Sailing Director Laurie Jury were the victors on the final day at the Thompson Cup. Racing had only reached the end of the second-round robin stage, but the breeze completely died meaning Stevenson and his Vento Racing team were crowned champions due to having the most wins (14 wins), one ahead of fellow RNZYS PP Team Knots Racing (13 wins).

The Grand Slam is made up of four match racing events, the Chicago Match Cup, Detroit Cup, Oakcliff International, and the Thompson Cup, with the team with the highest amount points across the four events winning the series.

Vento Racing finished 5that the first event in Chicago, came back strong to win the Detroit Cup, finished 3rdin Oakcliff, and then knocked it out of the park to win the Thompson Cup and the overall US Grand Slam series.

Speaking at the prizegiving on the lawn at the majestic Seawankaha Corinthian Yacht Club, Stevenson was pretty thrilled with his team’s progression over the past few weeks and was incredibly happy to win the grand slam trophy –

“It’s been a pretty awesome tour and we’ve come a long way since the first event which I think our results show. We started out a bit shaky with a 5thplace finish in Chicago but we got better and better as the tour went on. To come out with two regatta wins as well as the overall grand slam title, we are really stoked.”

Stevenson ended the Grand Slam with 265 points overall, with American Chris Poole finishing second on 245 points. Nick Egnot-Johnson finished the Grand Slam in third place with 160 points, an impressive result considering they only competed in the final two events in New York.

This is now the second year in a row a young RNZYS PP team has travelled to America and won the Grand Slam, the pinnacle match racing series in the US, after Nick Egnot-Johnson’s Knots Racing Team won the series in 2018.

Stevenson had nothing but praise for his crew, the regatta organisers, and for the RNZYS –

“I’d really like to thank everyone out on the water, all the judges, and everyone on the race committee boat, not just at this event but at all four events. I’d also like to thank my crew for a really good few weeks over here, as well as Laurie Jury who has come over and sailed with us at these last two events and taught us lot. Lastly I would like to thank the RNZYS for being a cool yacht club back home and allowing us to represent them at these amazing events.”

Thompson Cup Results HERE

Final Grand Slam Results HERE

RNZYS PR & Communications Manager Andrew Delves

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