John Loe takes the lead

After day one of the Knickbocker Cup match racing in Long Island Sound

John Loe (USA) from the Southern Yacht Club and his team of Val Smith, Bartosz Zienda and Baker Potts, lead the pack after the first day of racing at the 25th Anniversary of the Knickerbocker Cup. With a solid score of 5-0, this young team took on some veteran racers and came out on top. The Loe team, ranked 240 by the ISAF, beat last year’s winner Martin Angsell (SWE), ranked 36; they also handed a loss to Pierre-Antoine Morvan (FRA) with a ranking of 9 by the ISAF. Close on their heels is Keith Swinton (AUS) with a 4-1 score by end of day.

Racing took place on Manhasset Bay in Colgate 26s in western Long Island Sound in wind that could only be described as “challenging.” Racing commenced in a very light easterly; not a good sign. Because of great Race Committee work, headed up by PRO, Sue Miller, Vice Commodore of Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, five flights were completed before canceling for the day. The RC moved to the outer bay in search of more wind and were able to squeeze out a few more races. According to Miller, “thank goodness the boat had a good windlass - we moved at least five times trying to find the best wind.”

Loe and his crew came up north from New Orleans to spend some time racing big boats before returning to college dinghy sailing next week. “We came to have a good time and knock down some giants.” After what residents of New Orleans have been through, they deserve to have some fun. According to crew member Baker Potts, his family just about lost their home from Katrina, when 10 feet of water tried to force them out. Today, the family is living on the second floor of the family home and when Baker returns, his new bedroom is in a trailer in the front yard. So these newcomers to the Cup accomplished their goals – at least for now. At this point in the game, it is anyone’s guess if Loe et al will be able to slay all the giants they will face over the next three days. With wind predicted to be a nice southerly on Friday, all racers are looking forward to a full day of testing their skills against the winds and current of Manhasset Bay and teams of match racers who have come from around the world to vie for this year’s Knickerbocker Cup.

Results after Day 1:

John Loe ( USA) 5-0
Keith Swinton ((AUS) 4-1
Chris Van Tol (USA) 3-2
Martin Angsell (SWE) 2-3
Brian Angel (USA) 1-4
Pierre-Antoine Morvan 0-5
Andrew Arbuzov (RUS) 0-0
Nick Cherry (GBR) 0-0
Robert Gibbs (USA) 0-0
Dave Perry (USA) 0-0
Matteo Simoncelli (ITA) 0-0
Przemek Tarnacki (POL) 0-0