58th Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship Day 3

by Susan Kenney 2 Aug 17:36 NZST 29 July - 3 August 2025

• With three flights remaining in the 2nd Round Robin, Callahan's lead is unassailable and is through to the Semis; likewise Josh Hyde (NZL) on 16-3.
• Morgan Pinckney (USA) on 14-5 is all but assured of being the third Semi-Finalist, but Cole Tapper (AUS) 13-6 has to fight off Michael Kirkman (USA) and Theo Westerlind (SWE), both on 11-8, tomorrow.

Justin Callahan (USA) and his team delivered another near-flawless performance today, remaining undefeated for the third consecutive day. With three flights remaining in the Round-Robin phase of the 58th annual Governor's Cup—hosted by Balboa Yacht Club—Team Callahan leads the 12-team fleet with a perfect 19-0 record.

The other pre-regatta favorites continue to make strong showings: Josh Hyde (NZL) sits at 16-3, Morgan Pinckney (USA) follows at 14-5, and defending champion Cole Tapper (AUS)—also the current Youth Match Racing World Champion—is close behind at 13-6.

The top four teams at the end of the Round-Robins will advance to the head-to-head Semi-Finals later Saturday. Callahan has mathematically secured a Semi-Final berth and is likely to finish the round at the top of the leaderboard, granting his team the right to choose their Semi-Final opponent. Hyde has also clinched a spot in the Semis, and Pinckney is all but assured of advancing.

The day's minor surprise was Tapper, who has now lost six matches overall—three in each round. With three flights remaining in Round-Robin 2, there's a narrow window for either Theo Westerlind (SWE) or Michael Kirkman (USA), both sitting at 11-8, to overtake Tapper for the final Semi-Final slot.

Governor's Cup Steering Committee Chair and two-time GovCup champion Andy Rose (USA) remarked, "Team Tapper may be saving their usual aggression and brilliance for the Semis—and possibly the Finals."

Two-time GovCup champion Jeffrey Petersen (USA), who is coaching Callahan, Kirkman, and Dylan Sih (USA), went undefeated in the Round-Robin phase in 2022, then lost in the Finals to Jordan Stevenson (NZL). He noted the risks of a perfect record: "There's definitely a bit of a curse for going unbeaten in the round robins, but talent can always overcome."

When asked about the so-called curse, Callahan responded, "I have certain superstitions, but that's not one of them."

The Governor's Cup, first raced in 1967, is the oldest and most prestigious youth match racing championship in the world. The 2025 edition is presented by Terry Causey and his foundation "Call of the Sea", with co-presenting sponsorship from the Croul Family.

Racing resumes Saturday at 1130, following the "Pre-Race Morning Show" livestreamed by GovCup TV at 0900 on Balboa Yacht Club's YouTube channel and the BYC GovCup Facebook page. The Morning Shows (also airing Sunday at 9:00 a.m.) feature the daily Competitors' Briefing with race officials and highlight all twelve teams.

GovCup TV will also live-stream Saturday's Semi-Finals and Sunday's Finals beginning at 1130 PDT / 1830 UTC. Press conferences will follow each day's racing—Saturday at 1900PDT and Sunday at 1700 PDT, which will also include the Awards Ceremony.

Find out more at www.govcupracing.com.