Adam Minoprio’s BlackMatch team came from behind to capture a maiden Argo Group Gold Cup in a thrilling final in Hamilton Harbour yesterday.

The New Zealander edged Australian rival Keith Swinton’s Swan Racing 3-2 to lift the oldest match racing trophy for competition involving one-design yachts for the first time in seven attempts and pocket the $35,000 winner’s purse.

Minoprio is likely to be the last winner of the Gold Cup in its present form. The World Match Racing Tour is switching to the M32 high-performance catamaran next year, leaving race organisers to either leave IODs behind, or lose their WMRT status.

“It’s amazing to finally get across the line,” Minoprio said. “We have been here seven times and every time we’ve just missed out, so this time to actually get it is just great and we’re super stoked.

“It was intense and every part of the race was anybody’s game and on the edge of your seat.”

The former world No 1 match race skipper was forced to chase the first-to-three points final match after losing the opening flight in which he incurred a penalty for a mild collision with Swinton during the pre-start.

But it was a classic case of game on after Minoprio led from wire-to-wire to win the second flight and even the match at one point apiece.

Another convincing victory in the third flight gave the two-times Gold Cup runner’s up a 2-1 lead which put him on match point.

Swinton, however, refused to roll over and evened the match at 2-2 to set the stage for an exciting winner-takes-all fifth and deciding flight.

Swinton made up considerable distance attacking from behind on the run to the finish and eventually got his bow in front for good after a series of gybes and a luff near the line before crossing over to secure the vital point to keep his Gold Cup victory bid alive.

“We thought we might have broken their spirit on that one,” Swinton said.

Unfortunately for the 29-year-old Australian skipper it did not as Minoprio gained early control of the fifth flight in the pre-start after his opponent ran out of space and had to gybe away at the boat end of the line to avoid going over early.

Minoprio took full advantage of his rival’s poor start, rounding every marker with clean air on his sails to go and take the win and the match to put an end to a Gold Cup jinx.

“We’re disappointed to lose but happy with our performance,” Swinton, who pocketed $16,000 for finishing second, added. “They sailed really well and we were sailing well also but just couldn’t get around them.”

Minoprio and Swinton reached the final after prevailing in their semi-final matches against Taylor Canfield’s US One and Björn Hansen’s Nautiska Racing.

Minoprio edged Canfield 3-2 while Swinton had a much easier time in a 3-1 win over Hansen.

Hansen finished third overall after getting past Canfield 2-1 in the Petite Final.

It was the third straight year that Canfield, the 2012 Gold Cup winner, has appeared in the Petite Final.