Detroit Cup - Latest News 22-Aug-21 Gifford Wins 2021 Detroit Cup August 22, 2021 – Detroit, Michigan -- In a first-to-five point showdown that went to the fourth match, Alastair Gifford from New Zealand and his team of Devon Baker and Frank Dair have today won the 13th edition of the International Match Race for the Detroit Cup hosted by Bayview Yacht Club. His rival in the Finals was local-based Ryan Seago who was winner of the four Round Robins sailed among six participating teams racing equally-matched Ultimate 20’s. “We want to thank our rivals who provided excellent competition for us all week,” said Gifford, “and all at Bayview who made this possible. We also want to thank our supporters at home from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Performance Program.” Gifford and team receive $1000 of the prize money purse awarded at this year’s event. A total of 79 matches were run in four days at Bayview YC’s shorefront venue on the Detroit River in light to moderate easterlies that appeared every day of the event. This was sufficient to complete four Round Robins and Semi-finals through yesterday, leaving the Finals and Petit Finals for today. In the Finals, Gifford put the event favorite Seago on notice by winning the first match, but then fell to him in the next to tie the scorecard on one point each. With and a little bit more breeze to work with, Gifford’s team then stepped up their game to win the starts, take control of each first beat, defend their lead, and then extend to win each of the remaining two matches. In the first-to-two point Petit Final, GBR-based James Pinder prevailed against Ireland’s Ruari Finnigan 2-0. Giffford’s win of this Grade 2 event replicates the victory he had in Chicago at the first stop of the US GRAND SLAM tour and puts the team in a strong position going into the next Tour stop later this week at the Oakcliff International in Oyster Bay, New York. In addition to valuable Grade 2 points On the World Sailing Match Race Ranking List, the winner of the GRAND SLAM series earns a qualification spot at the 2022 Congressional Cup at Long Beach YC. Final results 2021 Detroit Cup: 1. Alastair Gifford (NZL) 2. Ryan Seago (USA) 3. James Pinder (GBR) 4. Ruairi Finnegan (IRL) 5. Ansgar Jordan (USA) 6. Sam Bartel (USA) Detailed results: www.matchracingresults.com/2021/detroit-cup/ Event website: www.detroitcup.com/detroitcup   <<<< previous page