Megan Thomson
NZL
WSA 14
2.0 Racing

MEGAN THOMSON and her RNZYS Performance Programme team 2.0 Racing have been one of New Zealand’s premier match racing teams for the past few years. The 2.0 Racing team campaigned throughout the 2022 World Match Racing Tour’s US Grand Slam and impressing against some of the world’s best open Match Racing teams.

In 2022, Megan and her team competed on the newly launched all-female Women’s World Match Racing Tour finishing in 5^th place from 26 teams. She also finished in 5^th place at the 2022 Open Match Racing World Championship in Sydney.  

In 2023, her team finished an impressive 3^rd place on the Women’s World Match Racing Tour, before returning home to New Zealand to win the 2023 Women’s Match Racing Championships. Megan was the only female skipper at the 2023 WMRT Final.

Megan finished in 2^nd place at the 2023 and 2024 Ficker Cup events, which earned her one of the final spots in the Congressional Cup, the two consecutive years.

Crew:

United States
WS Ranking 1
Riptide Racing

Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club

Chris Poole, from Westport, CT started sailing at the age of ten years old in an Optimist out of Portland Yacht Club in Falmouth, Maine. Today, he ranks at the top of the match racing leader board.

Having grown up on small boats along the coast of Maine, Chris diversified his skills at Maine Maritime Academy where he started honing his match racing skills. In the summer of 2011, he interned at the Chicago Match Race Center and finished 2nd in his first ever match race.

Chris accelerated his climb to the top of the international match race rankings over the past years, training in Oyster Bay, NY and traveling the world, competing against the best in the sport.

In 2023, Chris and the Riptide Team won the 58th Congressional Cup undefeated with a total of 24 race wins. The team went on to finish second at the GKSS Match Cup Sweden in Marstrand, first at the U.S. Match Racing Championship, and eighth at the Shenzhen Bao'an Match Cup World Match Racing Tour Final. Chris also joined the Golden Eagles team for the unique challenge of representing the USA at the SSL Gold Cup.

Chris returns to Long Beach for his 9th time, looking to win his 2nd Congressional Cup and Crimson Blazer.

Crew:

Past Results:

7^th         Ficker Cup ’13
5^th         Ficker Cup ’15
3^rd         Ficker Cup ’18

12^th      Congressional Cup ’14
6^th        Congressional Cup ’19
4^th        Congressional Cup ‘21
3^rd        Congressional Cup ‘22
1^st        Congressional Cup ‘23

8^th        WMRT Final ‘23, Shenzhen Bao'an, CHN
10^th      Bermuda Gold Cup ’23, Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, BER
1^st        U.S. Match Racing Championship ’23, Rochester, USA
1^st        Oakcliff International ’23, Oyster Bay, USA
1^st        Thompson Cup ’23, Oyster Bay, USA
4^th        International Match Race For The Detroit Cup ’23, Detroit, USA
2^nd       GKSS Match Race Cup ’23, Marstran, SWE
2^nd       WMRT Final ‘22, Sydney, AUS

Scotty Dickson
USA
Dickson Racing

Scotty Dickson, originally from New Zealand, has been coach to many of the younger sailors on the circuit and heavily involved in developing match racing in California. Scotty skippered his first Congressional Cup in 1996 and went on to skipper a total of 20 more, representing the Long Beach Yacht Club. In 2019, Scotty and his team made the finals and took home a prestigious silver medal.

 Scotty triumphed in the qualifier event, Ficker Cup, an impressive 14 times. From 2000 through 2007, he owned the event, winning every title except for 2005.

Scotty has been a member of Long Beach Yacht Club since 1995. When not at the helm of his own team, he remains actively engaged in sailing events both locally and worldwide, assuming roles as a coach and commentator.

Strongly suited to bigger boats and teams, Scotty has skippered some of the most iconic big boats in California including Pendragon IV and VI, Foggy II, and Victoria.  Having completed 5 Transpacs, Capetown to Rio, Auckland Noumea, Van Isle 360 and Tour De France races, Scotty also has an extensive international offshore/inshore resume.  Additionally he has appeared at many events as commentator including Bermuda Gold Cup, Auckland, Chicago and St Petersberg Russia.

The real strength of Dickson Racing is the team, which is comprised of Long Beach locals who are each in their own right world class sailors, yet still have a strong connection with their local community. 

Crew:

New Zealand
WS Ranking 10
KNOTS Racing

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron

Nick Egnot-Johnson, better known as EJ, comes from a strong dinghy sailing background, having had great success in the Optimist, from the age of 7 years old, Starling and 29er classes.

Sailing had become his ticket to the world. He represented New Zealand at Optimist regattas in Mexico, Portugal, Korea, New Caledonia, Canada, and Australia where he became the first Kiwi sailor to win the International Optimist Australian and Open Championships when he headed a 150-strong fleet.

EJ discovered match racing in 2018 and since then has had a long string of great achievements with his KNOTS Racing Team. Him and his team were awarded the 2019 Performance Award by New Zealand Yachting and is currently shortlisted as potential skipper of the New Zealand Youth America’s Cup team.

EJ holds multiple Match Racing and Keelboat National New Zealand titles. In his spare time he has been sailing on various boats, including the foiling moth, TP52’s and Melges 40’s.

He and his team were the 2022 World Match Racing Champions and have finished 3rd in last year’s prestigious Congressional Cup.

Crew:

Past Results:

5^th        Congressional Cup ’19
9^th        Congressional Cup ‘22
3^rd        Congressional Cup ‘23

7^th        WMRT Final ‘23, Shenzhen Bao'an, CHN
8^th        Bermuda Gold Cup ’23, Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, BER
7^th        GKSS Match Race Cup ’23, Marstran, SWE
2^nd       Warren Jones International Regatta ’23, Perth, AUS
1^st        WMRT Final ‘22, Sydney, AUS
2^nd       Harken Youth International Match Racing Cup ’22, Waitemata Harbour, NZL
1^st        New Zealand Match Racing Championship ‘22, Waitemata Harbour, NZL