The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s Knots Racing is the 2019 Yachting Developments New Zealand Match Racing Championship winner – having defeated Reuben Corbett’s team two–nil in a tricky final in October.

The Knots Racing team – Nick Egnot-Johnson, Sam Barnett, Zak Merton and Bradley McLaughlin – started the first match well, winning the duel throughout the race to hold onto the lead and move one step closer to lifting the trophy.

But they really earned their victory in the second match. With very light winds they weren’t able to enter the start box on time, incurring a penalty and handing Corbett a handy advantage. The race was then a light-wind, match-racing battle of the ages, and the Knots boys looked down and out when they were parked up heading into the bottom mark with Corbett kite-up sailing past them.

Still, they refused to give up and found a nice pocket of breeze to get themselves right back into the race, making a double gybe on the final downwind leg, catching up to Corbett where they were then able to miraculously offset their penalty.

After all that hard work Egnot-Johsnon held onto his lead on the final downwind leg to cross the line and win his first ever Yachting Developments New Zealand Match Racing Championship title.