Lance Fraser and his Team Digicel Business Match Racing crew-mates earned a place on the podium at last weekend’s June Invitational Clinegatta in Oakcliff, New York.

Fraser finished second with an overall 5-2 record in the Swedish Match 40, which is a customed built match racing yacht designed for the Swedish Match Tour.

With better luck, the local sailor might have come away victorious in the Grade 3 regatta.

But a narrow defeat against rival skipper Doug Shannon and light breezes conspired against Fraser and his team-mates.

“We lost the final race by a few feet to Doug Shannon,” Fraser said. “It was extremely light and variable wind.

“We entered from port, which is a huge disadvantage in those boats in really light wind, and we were never able to gain control in the start.

“We fought really hard all the way around the course and almost passed just at the finish. But unfortunately were unable to pass him and it ended up costing us the regatta.

“We ended up losing by a foot at the finish and I do not think that we could have done much other than what we did.”

No further races were held due to the light conditions with the race committee declaring Elizabeth Shaw, of Canada, the winner.

The female skipper finished with an overall 6-1 record, her only loss arriving against Fraser.

Had Fraser won what proved to be his last match against Shannon, he would have won the regatta on a head-to-head tie break having beat eventual winner Shaw who is a graduate of the Oakcliff Sapling Programme.

If it was any consolation, though, Fraser defeated American Chris Poole who is ranked 28th in the ISAF Match Racing open rankings.

“Unfortunately things did not work in our favour right at the end there, which seems to be a trend at these regattas,” said Fraser, who is ranked 60th in the ISAF Match Racing open rankings. “It was a tough end but we sailed very well.”

Fraser, who participated in last year’s Argo Group Gold Cup, is scheduled to compete in further Grade 3 Match Racing events in Toronto, Chicago and New York later this year.