Poole wins finale to claim Grand Slam

Published on September 3rd, 2022

American match racer Chris Poole dominated the 2022 Thompson Cup on August 31-September 3 in his home waters at the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club in Oyster Bay, NY. Sailed in Match 40 class yachts, this was the fourth and final stop in the Grand Slam Series of U.S. Grade 2 match races. Poole also took the 2022 Grand Slam title with his victory in the Thompson Cup.

The Thompson Cup attracted 10 teams from seven countries with competitors hailing from Australia, France, New Zealand, Great Britain, Ireland, Sweden, and the United States. All four of the Grand Slam Series races are official World Match Racing Tour events, with points counting towards the World Match Racing Tour championship.

With plenty of breeze for the first three days, the Race Committee successfully completed 114 races, including two round robins on the first two days. With a calm forecast anticipated on the last day, the event concluded with quarter finals, semi-finals, and finals on day three.

The finals pitted two Seawanhaka members, Poole and Dave Perry, with Poole winning both races in the shortened best of three series. “To be able to win the U.S. Grand Slam Series by winning the final event, the Thompson Cup, at my home club is the perfect way to script it,” said Poole. “And winning the Thompson Cup, back-to-back, against Dave Perry, the guy who wrote the match race playbook is incredible.

Sailing with Poole were Bradley McLaughlin, Ed Lebens, Connor Mashlan, and David Gilmour. The win gave Poole enough cumulative points to edge out Jean-Baptiste Bernaz (FRA) for the Grand Slam title and receive an invitation to next year’s Congressional Cup in Long Beach, CA.

Thompson CupNotice of SeriesOverall results

2022 Grand Slam Series
August 12-14 – Chicago Grand Slam – Chicago, IL
August 18-21, – Detroit Cup – Detroit, MI
August 25-29 – Oakcliff International – Oyster Bay, NY
August 31-September 3 – Thompson Cup – Oyster Bay, NY

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