Fresh off winning the USA Grand Slam – Chicago Match Cup last week, Waitematā Racing, led by RNZYS member and Performance Programme graduate Josh Hyde, headed to Oyster Bay, New York, for the Oakcliff International.
Josh and his crew of Zach Fong, Nick Drummond, Marin Armstrong-Wills, Jack Porter and Tuskar Lordly delivered another outstanding performance, finishing second overall.
After placing second in the Round Robin stage, Waitematā Racing progressed through the knockout rounds, defeating World #2 Oscar Engström 3–0 and US National Champion Peter Holz 3–1 to earn a place in the Final against World #1 Chris Poole. The teams were locked at two wins apiece after four races, forcing a fifth and deciding race. Hyde and his team ultimately narrowly missed the top spot on the podium but walked away with an impressive silver medal finish.
“Oakcliff was actually the first time I’d ever steered a yacht with a wheel, so there was definitely a bit of learning on the go. To come away with second against such a strong field was a pretty awesome result for the team,” said Hyde.
Congratulations also to fellow RNZYS member Sam Scott and his LJ’s Racing team, who finished 10th overall at the Oakcliff International.
Waitematā Racing has now moved into the fourth and final event of the USA Grand Slam – the Thompson Cup at Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club – where they currently sit at the top of the overall 2026 USA Grand Slam leaderboard.
The USA Grand Slam marks the team’s official transition onto the open match racing world circuit following an outstanding few years competing through the youth pathway. Their recent performances have also seen Josh continue to climb the World Sailing Open Match Racing Rankings, where he currently sits at World #15 and is the highest-ranked New Zealand skipper.
An exciting start to the team’s next chapter in international match racing.
Good luck to Waitematā Racing and LJ’s Racing for the remainder of the Thompson Cup. Be sure to follow along with the live results and cheer on our teams!
