Knickerbocker Cup: Livestream Video of the Quarterfinals onwards

Waka Racing (Phil Robertson, NZL) are through to the semi-finals, after defeating Dave Perry (USA) 3-0.

Will Tiller (Full Metal Jacket Racing, NZL) is up against Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) in the quarterfinals.

The Knickerbocker Cup is run by Manhasset Bay YC, New York, USA. The 2009 edition was won by Reuben Corbett (Black Sheep Racing, NZL).

Watch live streaming video from kcup at livestream.com

Knickerbocker Cup

Knickerbocker Cup: Patchy and Shifty, but Full Metal Jacket Pull Through to Quaterfinals

by Will Tiller

Another patchy and very shifty breeze greeted us on the second day of the Knickerbocker Cup. In our six races today we won 4 and lost 2 leaving us on 7 wins at the completion of the round robin. This qualified us 4th equal meaning we are going to be racing Anna Tunnicliffe in the quarter finals which we are starting tomorrow.

In our last three races of the day we were up against Phil Robertson ranked 21st in the world, defending champ Reuben Corbett ranked 18th in the world and the winner of last week’s Detroit cup Dave Perry. We needed to win one or two of these races to secure our spot in the quarter finals so the pressure was on. In all of these races we were narrowly behind after the first beat but kept it really close and managed to execute passes on the downwind legs in each match to win all three.

We would like to say thanks to SLAM, Aon New Zealand and The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

Full Metal Jacket Racing
Knickerbocker Cup

Knickerbocker Cup: Black Sheep Bow Out

by Reuben Corbett

We had three remaining matches to conclude the round robin here at the Knickerbocker Cup and we lost them all. The errors varied from race to race and each loss was by no more than a length. In sum, our performances in this regatta have been well below the standard we set ourselves. The fault is all ours and we will remedy this as we work towards becoming more consistent.

The quarter finalists are Eugieny Neugodnikov (RUS), Bill Hardesty (USA), Phil Robertson (NZL), William Tiller (NZL), Anna Tunnacliffe (USA), Sally Barkow (USA), Dave Perry (USA) and Taylor Canfield (USVI). Racing is currently underway. We will be supporting our fellow Kiwis!

Next up on the list for us is a much needed ten day break before heading to Korea to compete in the Hahn River International Match Race.

Black Sheep Racing would like to thank the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, friends and family for your support. Thank you!

Black Sheep Racing is Reuben Corbett, Brad Farrand, Tom Bentham and Andrew Clouston.

Black Sheep Racing
Knickerbocker Cup

Knickerbocker Cup: Gearing Up for the Quarterfinals

by Anna Tunnicliffe

We wrapped up racing in the round robin today at the Knickerbocker Cup finishing 4th. We finished the day early and then waited for everyone else to finish up racing before we entered into the quaterfinals round.

The quarterfinalists were not announced initially, as it was undecided as to whether the round was going to be a 6- or 8-team quarterfinal. By the end of the round robin, the race committee decided that it would be an 8-team knockout quarterfinals. This meant that we are paired up against the number 5 seed, William Tiller from New Zealand.

The racing began in the quarters this afternoon, but our pair sat out waiting for one group to finish up before we could start (because there are only 6 boats and 8 teams).

In our three races this morning, we won 2 and lost 1. They were really good, testing races, and we were leading all of them at one point or another, but got overtaken at the leeward mark. The pre-starts were rather tricky because the wind was light and the current was against us but even so we managed to get good starts on the side of the race course we wanted and came out ahead at the top mark.

The race we lost, we led all the way down the first downwind leg until the last gybe into the mark. Our competitor had a little more speed than us and just got inside of us at the two boatlength zone at the mark. We tried to round on the outside of him but we ran out of speed. Just after we rounded we tried to fake tack and get him off our breeze, but he didn't fall for it and we stopped. We hung out by the leeward mark for about 2 minutes before we got going again, as the wind was so light. We managed to gain some boat lengths back upwind, but not enough to catch up and make a play.

We will start racing tomorrow morning after one pair finishes their first to 3 point series. You can check the results online at the regatta website. There is also live coverage of the races on www.sailgroove.org.

We would like to thank Carmeuse and Trinity Yachts for their continued support of our campaign for the 2012 Olympics in London. We would also like to thank US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and its sponsors for their support.

Team Tunnicliffe
Knickerbocker Cup

Etchells Worlds 2010: Andrew Palfrey on the Triad Team's Lead-Up to their Victory

John Bertrand, Andrew Palfrey and Tom Slingsby, from the Royal Brighton Yacht Club, Melbourne, Australia, take the 2010 Etchells Worlds, sailed at Howth Yacht Club, Ireland, with a race to spare


John Bertrand's boat at the New Zealand Etchells Championships 2004. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

by Anne Hinton

Andrew Palfrey, hailing from Melbourne, originally, is a long-time Etchells sailor – turned coach and occasional Etchells sailor. Palfrey first moved away from Melbourne selling the late Ian Bashford’s Etchells boats, subsequently got into the Star with Iain Murray, went to the Olympics, and has kept up corinthian Etchells sailing in his spare time, post-2008 with Australia’s first America’s Cup winner, John Bertrand.


Andrew Palfrey. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

In 2009, John Bertrand had already signed up Ben Ainslie for the Australian Nationals in Adelaide when Andrew Palfrey joined the team. There was lots of wind and sun in Adelaide and, as Palfrey put it, they “had a ball” and won the Nationals with a race to spare.


John Bertrand and then crew win the New Zealand National Etchells title in 2004. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

The 2009 Worlds were in Melbourne, home town to John Bertrand and Andrew Palfrey, and were the main focus. The team was winning halfway through, “then we pulled the trigger a little early and got an OCS,” said Palfrey. “We got the side we wanted heading left on a day we were all convinced it was going to go left. It was late in the day. Both John and I grew up in Melbourne, Ben’s won two Worlds in Melbourne... It was a light sea breeze. We had got burnt in the previous race because we didn’t go far enough left.

“The guys we had to beat didn’t have a great start and got flushed out right. We thought this was it! Then it went right ten degrees and those guys were fifth or something. It just didn’t pan out our way,” said Palfrey. “It was, nonetheless, a fantastic event. John was really disappointed. He has not won an Etchells Worlds despite being in the class for ages. Just to see how he carried himself after that day in the evening and at the presentation was awesome: a real gentleman, paying respect to the winners. I got a lot out of it. I am sure Ben did too.”


Affinity (Etchells belonging to Dean Barker, sailed by John Bertrand) and spray in New Zealand. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

How the crew is organised

Palfrey commented that it’s important to have roles on the boat, otherwise there can be a lot of good talk and communication, but no decisions. “With John, we said to Ben ‘you are the tactician. We will give you input but not take offence if you go against the input’. My job to make sure sails go up and down and support the middleman. John’s is to steer the boat. There are cross-overs. If I felt strongly about something, I would speak up, but most of the time you’d just make observations. It’s really important to divide the roles up and stick to it,” said Palfrey.


Tom Slingsby with his Gold medal from Weymouth 2010. Image copyright onEdition - all rights reserved.

Tom Slingsby, Australia’s top Laser sailor (and Gold medallist at the Skandia Sail for Gold 2010 event in Weymouth last week), now sails with the team in place of Ben Ainslie. “Shut your eyes and it could be Ben, with the way he communicates on the boat,” says Palfrey. “He’s an awesome young guy.” On the boat, John Bertrand is 63, Andrew Palfrey 43 and Tom Slingsby 23 – so quite an age range in the crew!


Former America's Cup adversaries: Dennis Conner (NZL sail) and John Bertrand (AUS sail) race against each other in Etchells in New Zealand. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

2010 Worlds preparation

Due to Slingsby racing in the Skandia Sail for Gold Olympic venue event, and Palfrey coaching the Kiwi Star sailors, Hamish Pepper and Craig Monk, at the same event, the team was not able to do much preparation for the 2010 Worlds in Howth, Ireland.


Tom Slingsby on his way to victory in the Laser class at Skandia Sail for Gold in Weymouth last week. Image copyright onEdition - all rights reserved.

“We borrowed a local boat (Dan O’Grady’s) in May for some training. There is no chance of any more sailing before the Worlds start,” say Palfrey. “John decided he would rather sail with us and limited preparation than start again with a new crew.

“Hopefully it will free us up mentally to be able to sail without expectation to perform. I am sure we will be a bit rusty and a few points will slip through in the first couple of days,” said a very modest Palfrey, before the Worlds.

The abilities of this super-talented Etchells crew from Down Under were not under-estimated by their opposition. The result was the 2010 Etchells World Championship victory, with a race to spare!


An Etchells plunges into a wave. Image copyright Anne Hinton - all rights reserved.

Etchells Worlds 2010 Results after 8 of 9 races (top 12 places)
43 boats entered from 8 countries

1st 83 AUS 1383 Triad Royal Brighton YC John Bertrand 5.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 (9.0) 1.0 4.0 1.0 23.0 14.0
2nd 33 GBR 1333 Swedish Blue Royal Hong Kong YC Ante Razmilovic 1.0 4.0 2.0 12.0 4.0 5.0 2.0 (19.0) 49.0 30.0
3rd 24 AUS 924 Barry Sandringham YC D King/S Cunnington 2.0 5.0 9.0 5.0 10.0 3.0 (30.0) 6.0 70.0 40.0
4th 34 SIN 1340 Matatu Royal Swedish YC Nils Razmilovic 4.0 8.0 6.0 4.0 1.0 (28.0) 18.0 7.0 76.0 48.0
5th 99 AUS 991 The Boat Royal Brighton YC Jake Gunther (21.0) 2.0 4.0 3.0 5.0 11.0 6.0 17.0 69.0 48.0
6th 97 GBR 1297 Holly Scott! RORC Eamonn O'Nolan 16.0 6.0 (19.0) 11.0 2.0 4.0 1.0 11.0 70.0 51.0
7th 14 USA 1224 1224 Eastern YC/NYYC Jud Smith 9.0 10.0 (15.0) 10.0 6.0 13.0 9.0 3.0 75.0 60.0
8th 29 GBR 1329 Stampede Royal Thames YC Julia Bailey 19.0 12.0 10.0 (21.0) 3.0 2.0 13.0 9.0 89.0 68.0
9th 32 USA 1232 Keep Smiling Houston YC Marvin Beckmann (24.0) 13.0 8.0 6.0 23.0 6.0 3.0 10.0 93.0 69.0
10th 39 GBR 1339 Freelance Royal Corinthian YC, Cowes .. Laurence Mead 23.0 11.0 (29.0) 2.0 15.0 14.0 5.0 5.0 104.0 75.0
11th 52 GBR 1352 Arbitrator RCYC Graham Bailey 3.0 9.0 5.0 15.0 7.0 12.0 (31.0) 26.0 108.0 77.0
12th 27 USA 1327 Raging Rooster American YC Peter S. Duncan 18.0 (44.0 DNF) 22.0 7.0 12.0 15.0 14.0 4.0 136.0 92.0

Etchells Worlds 2010

Knickerbocker Cup: Day 2 Report - Waka Racing at the top

by Andrea Watson

Phil Robertson, Waka Racing (NZL) has maintained his lead through day 2 at the Knickerbocker Cup, winning a tie breaker with Eugeniy Neugodnikov, Synergy (RUS), 9-2. Bill Hardesty, LineHonors.com (USA) is a close third, followed by Anna Tunnicliffe, Gus (USA).

By the end of the Full Round Robin, 8 teams advanced to the quarter finals, in a first to win three knock out. In addition to Robertson, Neugodinkov, Hardesty and Tunnicliffe, the teams advancing to the quarter-finals are: Dave Perry, Team Perry (USA), Sally Barkow, Team 7 Racing (USA), Taylor Canfield, Team ISV (ISV) and William Tiller, Full Metal Jacket Racing (NZL).

Late afternoon in the quarter-finals found Robertson over Perry 2-0, and the Negodnikov vs. Barkow and Canfield vs. Hardesty tied, each winning one match. Racing will continue early Saturday morning, with very light wind conditions predicted.

Lots of protests, lead changes and a few photo finishes highlighted the day. The young Tiller team came on strong today, winning matches against Robertson, Perry and Corbett. All three matches found Tiller behind on the first leg, only to catch up and overcome them by the finish. Hardesty pushed Canfield over early in his one match in the quarter finals and went on to win.

Lots more racing before one can predict who will triumph in the 2010 Knickerbocker Cup. Of the six teams vying for the East Coast Trifecta, only Canfield, Hardesty and Tiller remain.

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.

Results after the Full Round Robin:
Phil Robertson (NZL) 9-2
Eugeniy Neugodnikov RUS 9-2
Bill Hardesty (USA) 8-3
Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) 7-4
William Tiller (NZL) 7-4
Taylor Canfield (ISV) 6-5
Sally Barkow (USA) 5-6
Dave Perry (USA) 4-7
Reuben Corbett (NZL) 3-8
Henrique Haddad (BRA) 3-8
Sergey Musikhin (RUS) 3-8
Nicolai Sehested (DEN) 2-9

Knickerbocker Cup

Knickerbocker Cup: Steady Start for Team Tunnicliffe

by Anna Tunnicliffe

Today was the first day of racing at the 2010 Knickerbocker Cup. It was a great day of sailing, with a total of 13 flights sailed. Our team sailed 8 races total, ending the day with a 5-3 record.

We started the day's racing with five races. We had some great races, and ended the morning 3-2. After a couple of hours break while the other teams raced five races, we headed out around 4 pm for three more races in which we ended with a 2-1 to take our total to 5-3. The first two races in the afternoon group were very close races.

Our first race was against Reuben Corbett from New Zealand. Up the first beat, he drew a penalty for a port/starboard incident where he didn't make it across us on port. We focused on staying close to him during the race, but staying out of trouble. On the last downwind leg, with us maintaining our position close behind him, it was a game of slowing down but being ready to make our move for the finish line. We waited patiently, picked the right time to jump and ended up winning the race.

In the second race of the afternoon, we raced Dave Perry. He rounded the top mark a boat length ahead of us, but we kept fighting hard to keep it close. At the top mark second time around, he had about a two boat-length lead. We sailed the shifts well downwind and managed to affect his wind enough to catch up to him. Three-quaters of the way down the leg, we closed to about half a boat length from him. He gybed and we matched his gybe. He stayed deep out of the gybe and so did we. We managed to affect his breeze a little more and then we rolled over the top of him. We advanced on him and got into the zone of the pin end of the line, where he fouled us and we went on to win the race.

Tomorrow we start the day with three races, and then sit out for the next six while everyone else finishes up the round. The top 8 teams will advance onto the quarter-finals after the round robin is completed.

We would like to thank Carmeuse and Trinity Yachts for their continued support of our campaign for the 2012 Olympics in London. We would also like to thank US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics (USSTAG) and its sponsors for their support.

Team Tunnciliffe
Knickerbocker Cup