New York Challenge Cup 2002
The final day of the 2002 World Championships saw the match race for the historic New York Challenge Cup dating from 1886 and therefore probably the oldest international sailing trophy after the America's Cup. Britain won the trophy in 1993 from the USA and has successfully defended it in four challenges since. The challenging three-boat American team had high hopes after their success in the world championships.
Held in a Force 1 in close proximity to the shore, the first race in the best of three series saw much place changes between, but by the finish John Ellis took the winning gun for Britain. The lighter conditions were clearly to the British liking, as in the second race, Ellis slipped the cover of Erich Chase early in the race and never looked back, with Britain's Phil Robin and Mark Goodchild taking second and third and thus retaining the Cup.
New York Challenge Cup: Great Britain (John Ellis, Mark Goodchild, Phil Robin).
