2010 Knickerbocker Cup attracts match racing stars

The 28th Knickerbocker Cup, hosted by Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, is just a few days away and excitement is building, not just locally but across the country and internationally. With teams hailing from New Zealand, Russia, Denmark, Virgin Islands, Brazil and the US, viewers from around the world will be watching the action as 12 ISAF top-ranked teams go head-to-head to vie for a podium finish, which brings with it an automatic entry into the Argo Group Gold Cup, in Hamilton Bermuda, a stop on the prestigious World Match Racing Tour.

And to sweeten the deal, six teams are participating in the East Coast Trifecta, three consecutive Grade 2 events, with the winner receiving an entry in the Congressional Cup at Long Beach YC, CA, the only Grade One event in the United States. The first Trifecta event, the Chicago Match Race Center’s (CMRC) Chicago Cup, found Mike Buckley (USA) on top of the leader board after three days of intense matches, followed closely by Reuben Corbett (NZL) and Taylor Canfield (ISV), with Bill Hardesty (USA) 5, Nicolai Sehested (DEN) 6, William Tiller (NZL) 8 and Sergey Musikhin (RUS) 10. All but Buckley will be at the Knickerbocker Cup. The second event in the Trifecta, The Toyota International Match Race for the Detroit Cup, Bayview YC, is from Aug. 18-22, and if the Chicago Cup is any indication of what to expect, the Detroit Cup is going to be a wild and fiercely fought climb to the top. Then it is on to the Knickerbocker Cup, the third and last stop in the Trifecta.

So the stage is set for the 12 top ranked ISAF teams who will arrive primed and ready for whatever is handed to them on the race course. Be forewarned though; the vagaries of Manhasset Bay has felled many a great match racer in the past. Exciting match races – yes. Photo finishes – probably. Multiple lead changes – absolutely. And mark roundings that just may curl your hair. For the 12 teams vying for the Knickerbocker Cup and the six teams in the East Coast Trifecta, the stakes are higher than ever and the road to glory difficult. Stay tuned as the players enter the stage and perform their magic for four days in late August.

This year, the Knickerbocker Cup will bring the excitement to your home, office or anywhere you have access to the Internet for free. Live video will be available during racing and Chris Love from Sailgroove.org will deliver live expert commentary. Sailgroove has covered many national and international Grade 1 and 2 match races in North America and is excited to be a part of this year's Knickerbocker Cup. Sailgroove.org or knickerbockercup.org is where to be from 13:30 to about 22:00 GMT from August 26 through 29.

List of competitors in ISAF rank order:

Evgeniy Neugodnikov, Synergy, RUS, 8
Reuben Corbett, Black Sheep Racing, NZL, 18
Phil Roberson, Waka Racing, NZL, 21
Sergey Musikhin, Rusteam, RUS, 35
William Tiller, Full Metal Jacket Racing, NZL, 42
Dave Perry, Team Perry, USA. 43
Taylor Canfield, Team, ISV, ISV, 46
Nicolai Sehested, TRE-FOR Match Racing, DEN, 52
Sally Barkow, Team 7 Racing, USA, 56 (Women’s Ranking: 12)
Henrique Haddad, GIGA, BRA, 59
Bill Hardesty, LineHonors.com, USA, 82
Anna Tunnicliffe, Gus, USA, 120 (Women’s Ranking 3)

With such an impressive line-up of team, you won’t want to miss the action. Racing starts daily at 9:30. Check it out in person or catch some matches via live streaming video. According to Susan R. Miller, Commodore of Manhasset Bay YC and PRO for the event, “Manhasset Bay Yacht Club is looking forward to terrific competition and some great parties. The Knickerbocker Cup is even easier to be a part of this year with live video by Sailgroove and our spectator fleet. We invite the sailing community and our Long Island communities to join us for the action.”

Thomson Reuters is a major sponsor of the 2010 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.

The Colgate 26 is the official boat of the 2010 Knickerbocker Cup.