The ten teams continued the celebrations at the Closing Presentation held in the RSYS Clubhouse.

After their recent victory in the USA Grand Slam – Chicago Match Cup, Waitematā Racing, led by RNZYS member and Performance Programme graduate Josh Hyde, headed to Oyster Bay, New York, for the Oakcliff International. Hyde and his crew — Zach Fong, Nick Drummond, Marin Armstrong-Wills, Jack Porter and Tuskar Lordly — delivered another outstanding performance, finishing second overall.

 Waitematā Racing progressed through the knockout rounds.

Having placed second in the Round Robin stage, Waitematā Racing progressed through the knockout rounds. They defeated World #2 Oscar Engström 3–0 and US National Champion Peter Holz 3–1, earning them a place in the final against World #1 Chris Poole. After four races, the teams were tied at two wins apiece, forcing a fifth and deciding race. Ultimately, Hyde and his team narrowly missed out on the top spot on the podium, but walked away with an impressive silver medal.

 The first time steering a yacht is an exciting experience.

“Oakcliff was actually the first time I’d ever steered a yacht with a wheel, so it was definitely a learning experience. To come away with second against such a strong field was a pretty awesome result for the team," said Hyde. He also congratulated fellow RNZYS member Sam Scott and his LJ's Racing team. They finished 10th overall at the Oakcliff International.

Related:𝗠𝗬 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼 , 𝗔𝘇𝗶𝗺𝘂𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲 𝟮𝟲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮’𝘀 𝗖𝘂𝗽

The fourth and final event of the USA Grand Slam

The fourth and final event of the USA Grand Slam is now underway, with Waitematā Racing taking part in the Thompson Cup at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club. They are currently leading the way in the overall 2026 USA Grand Slam standings.

The USA Grand Slam

The USA Grand Slam signals the squad's formal entry into the open match racing world circuit following a remarkable few years competing through the youth pathway. Josh has also continued to climb the World Sailing Open Match Racing Rankings recently, and is currently World #15 and the highest-ranked New Zealand skipper. It's an exciting start to the team's next chapter in international match racing.

The closing celebrations 

The ten teams continued the celebrations at the closing presentation, which was held in the RSYS clubhouse. At the function, Lady Joan Hardy and RSYS Commodore Christian Brook reflected on the success of this year's event in supporting the development of youth match racing.

Source: Press - Release

#RSYS # LadyJoanHardy #Zach Fong # Nick Drummond #USA Grand Slam # Chicago Match Cup #Waitematā Racing #Josh Hyde #Oakcliff International