OYSTER BAY, NEW YORK (7 September 2026) — American match racing skipper Chris Poole and his Riptide Racing team have put together an impressive run of form, winning back-to-back USA Grand Slam events with victories at the Oakcliff International and Thompson Cup.
Both events were sailed in Swedish Match 40s on Poole’s home waters of Oyster Bay, a venue where he has enjoyed considerable success throughout his match racing career.
Poole began the run by winning the Oakcliff International, held August 27–30 at Oakcliff Sailing Center. Sailing with George Holt, Savannah Taylor, Florian Trüb, and Leo Vasiliev, Poole finished first in the opening stages before advancing through the knockout rounds and defeating New Zealand’s Josh Hyde 3-2 in the final to take the title.
Just days later, Poole returned to his home yacht club for the Thompson Cup at Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club with George Holt, Florian Trüb, Cameron Silvers, and Leo Vasiliev. The team once again advanced to the final, where they faced Sweden’s Oscar Engström in a closely contested championship match. Poole ultimately prevailed to claim the Thompson Cup and complete the back-to-back victories, adding another major result to an already successful 2026 season.
The two events are part of the USA Grand Slam series, which brings together many of the leading match racing teams from around the world. Victory in the series also carries an invitation to the prestigious Congressional Cup. New Zealand’s Josh Hyde claimed the 2026 USA Grand Slam overall title after competing in all four events — Chicago, Detroit, Oakcliff and Seawanhaka — and finishing with 235 points. With the Grand Slam counting a competitor’s best three results, Hyde’s consistency across the full series proved enough to secure the overall championship. Find the series results here.
Poole’s success in Oyster Bay follows his victory at the GKSS Match Cup Sweden in July, where he and Riptide Racing defeated Engström in the final to reclaim the Marstrand title.
Riptide Racing will now turn its attention to the Bermuda Gold Cup, the next event on the team’s schedule, where Poole and his crew will look to continue their strong run of form on the World Match Racing Tour.
RESULTS:
Final Results | 2026 Oakcliff International | https://www.matchracingresults.com/2026/oakcliff-international/
- 🇺🇸 Chris Poole (USA)
- 🇳🇿 Josh Hyde (NZL)
- 🇦🇺 Marcello Torre (AUS)
- 🇺🇸 Peter Holz (USA)
- 🇺🇸 William Stratton (USA)
- 🇦🇺 Tom Picot (AUS)
- 🇸🇪 Oscar Engström (SWE)
- 🇨🇦 Alexander Heinzemann (CAN)
- 🇺🇸 Christian Prendergast (USA)
- 🇳🇿 Sam Scott (NZL)
Final Results | 2026 Thompson Cup | https://www.matchracingresults.com/2026/thompson-cup/
- 🇺🇸 Chris Poole (USA)
- 🇸🇪 Oscar Engström (SWE)
- 🇦🇺 Marcello Torre (AUS)
- 🇳🇿 Josh Hyde (NZL)
- 🇳🇿 Sam Scott (NZL)
- 🇺🇸 Christian Prendergast (USA)
- 🇺🇸 Cormac Murphy (USA)
- 🇺🇸 Freddie Parkin (USA)
- 🇦🇺 Tom Picot (AUS)
- 🇨🇦 Alexander Heinzemann (CAN)
Final Results | 2026 Grand Slam Series | https://www.matchracingresults.com/2026/usa-grand-slam-overall/
- 🇳🇿 Josh Hyde (NZL)
- 🇺🇸 Chris Poole (USA)
- 🇺🇸 Christian Prendergast (USA)
- 🇦🇺 Marcello Torre (AUS)
- 🇦🇺 Tom Picot (AUS)
- 🇸🇪 Oscar Engström (SWE)
- 🇺🇸 Peter Holz (USA)
- 🇺🇸 William Stratton (USA)
- 🇨🇦 Alexander Heinzemann (CAN)
- 🇺🇸 Harrison Strom (USA)
- 🇳🇿 Sam Scott (NZL)
- 🇺🇸 Ryan Seago (USA)
- 🇺🇸 Cormac Murphy (USA)
- 🇸🇪 Theo Westerlind (SWE)
- 🇺🇸 Freddie Parkin (USA)
- 🇬🇧 James Pinder (GBR)
- 🇺🇸 Molly Carapiet (USA)
- 🇺🇸 Noah Robitshek (USA)
ABOUT WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR:
Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD24million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors. www.wmrt.com