Governor’s Cup Announces Revised 2021 Entries

NEWPORT BEACH一 On July 8 the Balboa Yacht Club announced the final ten skippers who are going to compete in the 54th Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship set for July 26-31.

The race will host teams from across the United States and Europe. Teams from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom will not be participating in the event this year, making the event solely between the United States and Europe, which according to a July 8 press release is unprecedented for the event.

“While we regret that teams from Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom will be unable to join us, this has set up a great competition between the U.S. teams and Europe!” said Regatta Chair Christine Robertson Gribben in the press release. “We are thrilled to be able to hold the event this year after last year’s cancellation and especially excited to see the racing between U.S. and European teams. Although the GovCup is an individual event, we are discussing putting up a prize of some sort to present to either Europe or the U.S. based on the top three finishers from each!”

The race is organized by Balboa Yacht Club and sponsored by Disc Sports & Spine Center. The race is an international invitational event for sailors under the age of 23 and will take place along Newport Beach with a reception and awards ceremony to follow after the races.

Many of the racers from this event go on to sail in America’s Cup, Olympic Games, The World Match Race Tour, and the Round the World Race.

There are five stages to the event starting with a double round-robin of all teams; a semi-final knockout of the top four teams from Stage 1; a final knockout of the top two teams from Stage 2; a petit final knockout of the other two teams from Stage 2; and finally, a consolation round for the teams finishing five through ten from Stage 1; according to a July 8 article from ScuttleButt.

For information on live coverage of the event see the BYC Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bycgovcup/.

 

Skippers

 

Thimoté Polet

Country: France

Bio: Polet is a successful sailor in fleet and ocean racing in addition to match racing.

 

Emil Kjaer

Country: Denmark

Bio: Kjaer has attained a podium finish in three separate Grade 2 match racing events in Northern Europe and would have to be considered one of the favorites.

 

Marius Westerlind

Country: Sweden

Bio: First-time skipper for the Governor’s cup, Westerlind is coming off of a win as 2020 Swedish Youth Match Racing Champion.

 

David Wood

Country: United States

Bio: BYC entry, steered for the winning team for the Youth Match Racing Championship for the Rose Cup in 2017 on a team with Jeffery Peterson, and skippered the third-place team for the 2021 U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship.

 

Jeffery Peterson

Country: United States

Bio: BYC entry, crewed the winning team for the Youth Match Racing Championship for the Rose Cup in 2017 on a team with David Wood, and skippered the winning team in the 2021 U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship.

 

Jack Egan

Country: United States

Bio: San Diego Yacht Club entry, first-time Governor’s Cup entry, second place in the 2017 Rose Cup where he was undefeated in the double round-robin, quarter, and semi-finals.

 

Ansgar Jordan

Country: United States

Bio: Coronado Yacht Club entry, first-time skipper for the Governor’s Cup.

 

Porter Kavle

Country: United States

Bio: Annapolis, Maryland entry, first-time skipper for the Governor’s Cup, and is on the sailing team for Fordham University.

 

Morgan Pinkey:

Country: United States

Bio: Newport Harbor Yacht Club entry, who is the youngest skipper, at 16, and a first-time entry, Pinky was also a podium finisher for the Rose Cup.

 

Owen Lahr

Country: United States

Bio: Richmond Yacht Club entry, another podium finisher, and also first-time skipper.