Golden State Match Racing wins Kintec

After finishing third in the Governor’s Cup, Ryan Davidson, Brandon Folkman and Gregg Kent of Balboa Yacht Club bounced back to win the 2013 Kintec Summer Match Race Regatta in Canada on Monday.

The trio along with Henry Kernot of Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, known as Golden State Match Racing team, gained some redemption by beating boats that were skippered by Sam Gilmour and Chris Steele, who finished first and second, respectively, at the Governor’s Cup.

The Golden State Match Racing team beat Gilmour in the semifinals and then surpassed Steele in the best-of-five finals at Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Davidson, the skipper, had just two losses in the regatta, both coming in the finals.

For this regatta, Folkman did main, Kent did bow, and Kernot trimmed the kite and jib, Davidson said.

Golden State Match Racing completed a sensational undefeated run to the finals.

Against Steele, the quartet earned the win in the first race. Then Steele answered with a win. Golden State Match Racing won the third race, but Steele came right back with a win to force the fifth and final race that Golden State Match Racing pulled out.

“Thank you to Balboa Yacht Club and the BYC Maritime Sciences & Seamanship Foundation for their continued support throughout this past summer,” Davidson wrote in an article for BYC members. “Without you, we would not have been able to compete in our five match race regattas and place at such a high level in all events.”

Davidson led BYC to a third-place finish in the Governor’s Cup July 21. It was BYC’s highest finish in over 30 years, as BYC beat San Diego Yacht Club in the petit final to secure third place in a best-of-three series.

— Steve Virgen