While the spotlight at the Congressional Cup (April 18-22) was intently focused on the final match between eventual winner Chris Poole (USA) and Jeppe Borch (DEN), the fight for third also had significance in Long Beach, CA.
It is not often that, for the opening event of the 2023 World Match Racing Tour, the Petit Final would have the reigning Match Racing World Champion – Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL) – competing against the most successful skipper in the history of the World Match Racing Tour – Ian Williams (GBR).
The 24-year-old Kiwi and his Knots Racing team shut out the Brit 2-0 to claim third place, defeating someone Ehnot-Johnson had looked up to while cutting his match-racing teeth – and who he had lost to in his two previous Congressional Cup appearances…