Catch the 2010 Knickerbocker Cup, for Free

The 28th Knickerbocker Cup, hosted by the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 25, through Sunday, Aug. 29. The Knickerbocker Cup is a qualifier for the World Match Racing Tour, with the winner gaining an automatic entry to the Argo Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious match racing events on the tour. Twelve teams from around the world have been invited to compete in the 2010 Knickerbocker Cup.

The Knickerbocker Cup is part of the East Coast Match Racing Trifecta, and includes international umpires. Started in 2009, six teams from around the world will compete in three back-to-back match racing event, including the CMRC Chicago Cup from Aug. 13 to Aug. 15, the Toyota International Match Race for the Detroit Cup from Aug. 18 to Aug. 22, with a last stop at the Knickerbocker Cup. The winner of the Trifecta receives an automatic entry into the Congressional Cup, the only Grade One Match Race in the United States, and will receive their invitation at the Knickerbocker Cup Awards Ceremony. 

The Lineup

The international line-up of match racing teams from around the world has shaped up to provide exciting racing on Manhasset Bay. Reuben Corbett, NZL, 2009 Knickerbocker champion, will be back to defend his title. Nipping at his heels will be Evgeniy Neugodnikov, RUS, a newcomer to the Knickerbocker Cup. Neugodnikov came close to upending Corbett in the finals in a tight duel to the finish at the Sail of the White Nights, a Grade 1 match race held in St. Petersburg Russia. However, Corbett prevailed and won entry in to the STENA Swedish Match Race, fifth stop on the World Match Race Tour.

Phil Robertson, NZL, who placed third in 2009, blasted through the preliminary rounds at the Slovenia Cup, only to lose out to Neugodnikov in the finals. Dave Perry, USA, collegiate All-American, two-time Congressional Cup champion and well-known rules guru, is back, vying for the Cup which slipped from his hands in a close finals dial-up, forcing him to second place in 2009. Also returning is Anna Tunnicliffe, two-time Yachtswoman of the Year, Gold Medal winner in the Olympics, who has announced her decision to enter the new match racing event in the 2012 Olympics.

The complete list of 2010 Knickerbocker Cup teams in ISAF rank order: Evgeniy Neugodnikov, RUS; Phil Robertson, NZL; Sergey Musikhin, RUS; Taylor Canfield, ISV; Dave Perry, USA; Nicolai Sehested, DEN; Reuben Corbett, NZL; William Tiller, NZL; Henrique Haddad, BRA; Sally Barkow, USA; Bill Hardesty, USA; and Anna Tunnicliffe, USA. Reuben Corbett won the 2009 Knickerbocker Cup.

Free Boat Tours

The Knickerbocker Cup is extending an invitation to the community to watch the races on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 28 and 29. Boat tours are free and open to the public on a first come, first serve basis. It's a chance for viewers to enjoy Manhasset Bay and catch the action as teams from around the world duke it out to claim the title of the 2010 Knickerbocker Champion. To register, email: boattours@knickerbockercup.org.

Thomson Reuters, the media organization, is a major sponsor of the event. For information about the 2010 Knickerbocker Cup, see photos and videos, visit manhassetbayyc.org and select Knickerbocker Cup.