Oceanbridge NZ Match Racing: Four teams remain in contention for Sunday
by Ella Sagnol/RNZYS Media 31 Oct 00:40 PDT
Josh Hyde vs. Noah Malpot in the first day of racing of the 2026 Oceanbridge New Zealand Match Racing Championship. RNZYS / Robyn Ashton © RNZYS / Robyn Ashton
Josh Hyde and Noah Malpot have taken the opening wins in their semi-finals at the Oceanbridge New Zealand Match Racing Championship at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
The opening races of the day delivered an early reminder of the fleet's depth, with unranked skippers Harry Thurston and Erica Dawson taking wins over Ethan Fong and Noah Malpot respectively.
Hyde went on to top the two round robins with seven wins from ten races. Malpot and Fong each recorded six wins, with Thurston securing the remaining semi-final spot on five wins. Sam Scott finished qualifying with four wins and Dawson with two.
"It was so much fun finally getting to match race the MRX. We had a big learning curve today and hope to keep the momentum up and build through the finals series," says Hyde.
Fong strengthened his campaign with four wins in the second round robin, including victory over Hyde. However, Malpot has now beaten Fong in all three of their encounters at this regatta, giving him an encouraging start to their knockout contest.
Hyde leads Thurston 1-0 in their semi-final, while Malpot holds the same advantage over Fong. Scott has also taken a 1-0 lead over Dawson in the fifth-place playoff.
For Thurston, reaching the semi-finals fulfils his pre-event ambition.
"I've been fortunate to win this event four times, sailing with skippers Chris Steele, Will Tiller, Andy Maloney and Reuben Corbett. It would be pretty special to add a fifth with my hand on the helm, but with the quality of this field, making the semi-finals would be a win for us," he said ahead of racing.
Racing resumes tomorrow, Sunday 1 November, with the first race scheduled just after midday NZDT. All four semi-finalists remain in contention for the national title.
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