56th Governor's Cup at Balboa Yacht Club - Day 3
by Susan Kenney 28 Jul 2023 17:29 NZST
July 24-29, 2023
Jeffrey Petersen (USA) - 56th Governor's Cup © Tom Walker Photography
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.
Tonight, three flights remain in the double Round Robin phase of the 56th Governor's Cup, hosted by Balboa Yacht Club and presented by DISC Sports and Spine Center and the Call of the Sea Foundation. The race for the other three semi-final slots is amazingly tight.
Only three of the twelve teams from eight countries have been mathematically eliminated from advancing to the Semi-finals, which will begin later Friday after completion of the Rounds Robin. Those three: Tom Higgins (IRL), Timothée Rossi (FRA) and Alec Coleman (CAN).
Today 2021 GovCup winner Jeffrey Petersen (USA) continued his undefeated streak, ending the day with 19 wins, including defeating his cross-harbor rival Morgan Pinckney (USA, Newport Harbor Yacht Club) in their final match of the day. However, a pre-start collision in that match, which Petersen won, resulted in minor damage. After racing Petersen was given a one-point penalty from the International Umpires for "failure to avoid a collision resulting in damage."
Petersen was asked if having that penalty point removed the "curse of going undefeated" — the superstition in match racing circles that going undefeated in the Rounds Robin leads to a loss in the Semis or Finals.
"At the end of the day," Petersen said, "I guess the curse has been avoided, but there are less expensive ways than a collision which will use up all of my damage deposit. And I'm sorry the boat bosuns will have extra work tonight — I owe them at least one."
Pinckney said, "It was a pre-start incident and Jeffrey misjudged the swing of his bow past my transom. He took his on-the-water penalty and still beat us, barely. Otherwise, that match was as good as it gets."
The twelve, identical, light and lively GovCup 22 yachts were designed by Alan Andrews, esteemed naval architect and a former Balboa Yacht Club Commodore. They are owned by the Newport Balboa Sailing and Seamanship Association (NBSSA) and provided to the teams for use in the regatta.
GovCup Steering Committee Chair Andy Rose (USA, Balboa Yacht Club) said, "While it looks like Morgan Pinckney and Cole Tapper (AUS, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia) will get through to the Semis, it is by no means certain. Morgan and Cole are tied for second on 12 wins. However, with three more flights in the RRs tomorrow, there is a hungry pack behind them on 10 points: Nicolas Bernal (BRA), Justin Callahan (USA), Josh Hyde (NZL) and Marcello Torre (AUS). Friday promises to be one of the most exciting days ever in the RR phase of the GovCup."
Both Friday and Saturday, live TV coverage begins at 11:30a PDT (18:30 UTC) on the GovCup Facebook page and the Balboa Yacht Club YouTube channel.
GovCup TV also produces live pre-race "Morning Shows" daily at 9:00a PDT, and will air the Semis' press conference after Friday's racing at 7:00p, and the Final's press conference and Awards Ceremony Saturday at 5:00p.
Find out more at www.govcupracing.com