Please select your home edition
Edition
Hyde Sails 2023 SIBS - LEADERBOARD

2021 Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship at Balboa Yacht Club - Day 1

by Susan Kenney 28 Jul 2021 05:42 BST July 26-31, 2021
Jeffrey Petersen (USA, Balboa Yacht Club) on day 1 of the Governor's Cup 2021 © Tom Walker

Jeffrey Petersen (USA, Balboa YC) and Emil Kjaer (DEN, Royal Danish YC) tied at the top of the GovCup leaderboard; will face off in Wednesday's first match.

The first day of the 54th Governor's Cup Youth International Match Racing Championship at Balboa Yacht Club (Newport Beach, California) ended with some great racing, but also anticipation. In the 12-16 knot breezes, the most awaited race of the day, the matchup of undefeated teams after a day of sailing between United States Youth Match Racing Champion, Balboa Yacht Club's Jeffrey Petersen (USA), and Emil Kjaer (DEN), was postponed until tomorrow by PRO Dr. Don Becker to allow time for minor boat repairs. This much anticipated match will be the first race of the day Wednesday.

Close behind on the leaderboard is Porter Kavle (USA, Annapolis Yacht Club) who is tied at day's end with Kjaer but lost his first-round robin race against the Dane. One point further behind are Jack Egan (USA, San Diego Yacht Club) and the youngest sailor in the fleet, Morgan Pinckney,16, (USA, Newport Harbor Yacht Club). Ansgar Jordan (USA, Coronado Yacht Club) had some good races and is a further point behind.

In a year when the usual excellent sailors from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom could not attend due to various Covid travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, this year's "GovCup" has become similar to golf's Ryder Cup competition between the U.S. and Europe. While the GovCup is an individual competition and teams want to win races notwithstanding nationalities, the BYC host decided to dedicate an informal trophy to be given based on the final GovCup placings of the top three U.S. teams versus the Europeans.

While Kjaer clearly leads his European contingent, the first entry in the GovCup from Metropolitan France, Thimoté Polet, initially showed great promise with a 2-0 record, but unfortunately lost several races after that. Marius Westerlind (SWE, Royal Gothenburg YC), perhaps the star of Monday evening's traditional Opening Dinner and Meet the Teams "roast," was vulnerable to his much more experienced colleagues and was winless on Day 1.

The Governor's Cup is the oldest and most prestigious youth match racing regatta in the world. It has produced some of the best sailors in the world in the America's Cup, Olympics, major one design classes and, perhaps most unusually, the Round the World Race—the sport's discipline that is arguably most different than match racing.

In summing up the day, Cup Chair Christine Robertson Gribben said, "It was a relief to just get these ten teams here in this second tough year for travel, especially for the international teams. They arrived, all tested negative for Covid, and put on quite a show in the breeze. We look forward to Day 2 of the Round Robins tomorrow!"

www.govcupracing.com

Related Articles

56th Governor's Cup at Balboa Yacht Club overall
The 12 is now 13, as Jeffrey Petersen joins the elite group who have won the Governor's Cup twice! The last day of the Governor's Cup is always filled with tension and excitement. The day began with the continuation of yesterday's semi-final races and the sail-offs for the rest of the of the rankings. Posted on 30 Jul
56th Governor's Cup at Balboa Yacht Club Day 3
Both semis are tied on 1-1 After four days of racing in the 56th annual Governor's Cup — the prestigious international youth match racing championship hosted annually by Balboa Yacht Club, it came down to only a win or two that decided the fortunes of eight of the 12 teams. Posted on 29 Jul
56th Governor's Cup at Balboa Yacht Club Day 3
Moving Day Jeffrey Petersen (USA, Balboa Yacht Club) remains undefeated with a lock on one Semi-final slot. Fully eight of the other 12 teams are still in contention for a Semi-final berth. Posted on 28 Jul
56th Governor's Cup at Balboa Yacht Club Day 2
Balboa Yacht Club's team extend their GovCup unbeaten streak Jeffrey Petersen (USA), and his team of Max Brennan (USA) and Enzo Menditto (USA), continued their winning ways today, going undefeated for the second day in a row. Posted on 27 Jul
56th Governor's Cup at Balboa Yacht Club Day 1
Host club's Jeffrey Petersen (USA) goes 6-0 to take an early lead A betting man would have picked Jeffrey Petersen (USA) as a favorite in the 56th Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship hosted by Balboa Yacht Club and presented by Disc Sports and Spine Center and the Call of the Sea Foundation. Posted on 26 Jul
56th Governor's Cup field of 12 skippers complete
After Morgan Pinckney (USA) and Justin Callahan (USA) qualify The twelve-team field for the 56th-annual Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship is now final, with a record eight countries represented. Posted on 26 Jun
Announcing the 56th Governor's Cup teams
A diverse field representing over eight nations The skippers invited to the 56th Governor's Cup International Youth Match Race this week are a diverse field representing over eight nations, and a strong mix of returning favorites, along with new entrants ready to compete for the cup. Posted on 23 Apr
Balboa YC begins RFI for 56th Governor's Cup
Taking place in Newport Beach, CA July 24-29, 2023 Balboa Yacht Club has posted all the information necessary for requesting an invitation (“RFI”) to the 56th Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship, July 24-29, 2023. Posted on 8 Feb
55th Governor's Cup announces 2022 invitees
Defending champion Jeffrey Petersen (USA) heads the line-up The skippers invited to the 55th Governor's Cup Int'l Youth Match Racing this week make this event more like a traditional, pre-Covid "GovCup" lineup after the Cup's cancellation in 2020 and last year's event which featured a U.S. vs. Europe lineup. Posted on 26 Apr 2022
2022 Governor's Cup at Balboa Yacht Club
World's top match race skippers under 23 invited to apply Balboa Yacht Club has posted all the information necessary for requesting an invitation ("RFI") for the 55th Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship, July 25-30, 2022, on the event website Posted on 25 Jan 2022