Governor’s Cup International Junior Match Racing Championship underway

by Nancy Mellon on 22 Jul 2011 Balboa Yacht Club’s 45th annual Governor’s Cup International Junior Match Racing Championship takes place July 19 to 24, 2011. The racing will be held in the afternoons from Wednesday through Sunday in the ocean near the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach, California.

The round robin format of two boats racing against each other, with each team of three racing against every other team, provides spectators with continuous competition to watch. The talented racers will demonstrate a variety of tactics as they race around marks, often with colorful spinnakers flying. On the water umpires will make decisions about rules infractions, assigning penalties to be resolved during the races, so no long protest hearings.

The first Round Robin is complete, and the second one is well on its way. The wind is still under eight knots but with cloud cover so the temperature is comfortable. Racing is close to the Balboa Pier today so spectators on the beach and pier can enjoy the view.

In 2010, the Newport Harbor Yacht Club team was almost undefeated until the finals. This year, other teams are proving to be very competitive as shown in the results from the first Round Robin. With eleven races completed - each team against every other team – Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron leads with nine wins, followed by Newport Harbor Yacht Club and San Diego Yacht Club tied with eight wins. Three teams have seven wins: Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club and Scuttlebutt Sailing Club. Balboa Yacht Club and Royal Hamilton Yacht Club have five wins, King Harbor has two and Royal Yachting Association has yet to win a race.

The second Round Robin was started on Thursday, with one set of races before coming in early this evening so the racers can participate in our Thursday evening Beer Can races. They have been invited to sail on the keel boats that race in our Harbor every week during the summer.

Information about the Gov Cup is available at www.balboayachtclub.com/govcup, including links to facebook and twitter. Continuous information will be posted on twitter during the racing, which can be seen from the beach near the Balboa Pier from noon to five through Sunday, July 25.

For the leader board - go to http://www.balboayachtclub.com/files/LeaderBoard2011.pdf

Teams will have the same spinnaker all week but will be changing boat numbers daily. Here are the boat numbers for Wednesday, July 20 and Thursday, July 21. When you look at the beautiful photos that will be posted by our photographer, Mary Longpre of Longpre photos – This is a way to recognize which team is racing which boat:

CLUB Spinnaker Color Wed. Boat # Thurs Boat #
Balboa Yacht Club Red 7 6
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia Lt. Yellow 10 11
King Harbor Yacht Club Black 6 12
Newport Harbor Yacht Club Yellow/Green 5 7
Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club Red/Blue 1 2
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Aqua 4 10
Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club Pink 12 8
Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Red/Yellow 3 1
Royal Yachting Association Green 8 5
San Diego Yacht Club Blue 11 3
Scuttlebutt Sailing Club Grey 9 4
St. Thomas Yacht Club Lt. Grey/Grey 2 9

The racers who come from a distance will be staying with host families during their busy week here.


Behind every great sporting event like Governor’s Cup, are great sponsors. Without their generous support, the event would not be possible. The 2011 Governor’s Cup and International Junior Match Race Championships is pleased to announce their new partnership with Sterling BMW of Newport Beach, CA as a major event sponsor. Sterling BMW will be featured on the bow of the event’s purpose-built 'Governor’s Cup 21' boats throughout the races. One of the custom designed keelboats will even be on display at the Sterling BMW dealership in Newport Beach during the week of the event.

Special this year will be the greening of the event with the support of CR&R, OC's waste management and environmental 'green' services company, which is also a major 'Fleet Sponsor' of the Gov Cup. All recyclables from the competitors, spectators, umpires and race committee boats will be placed each afternoon in a designated container located in a convenient and prominent place with signage noting CR&R and the Club's commitment to recycling. CR&R will then process the recyclables at its Stanton facility for sale and ultimate reuse.

This year there are many returning sponsors such as Newport Balboa Sailing and Seamanship Association (NBSSA), owner and manager of the Governor’s Cup 21 sailboat racing fleet, CR&R, Volcom, internationally renown clothing company, Blue Water Grill, one of OC’s and LA’s premier restaurants, Island Marine Fuel, our Newport Bay full fuel services and mini-market, Crevier BMW, OC’s distinct, award winning dealership, Leading Edge, offering a full range of underwater, topside, and marine mechanical services, Union Bank, friendly and helpful in personal, small business, commercial & institutional and private banking, Gaylord Sportswear, offer the highest quality embroidery, screenprinting, sublimation and heat transfers on a wide range of apparel, bags, hats ... and more. LBS, restaurant, hotel and country club supplier, and West Marine, boating hardware and supply outfitter.

Welcome aboard to this year’s new sponsors, including Sterling BMW of Newport Beach, a new lead sponsor, Sampson Rope, leader in the marine rope and cordage industry, Simple Green, environmental friendly home and commercial/industrial cleaning products, Lexus of Westminster, OC’s world-class luxury auto dealership, Seatek Yachting, Inc., specializing in standing and running rigging as well as mast refurbishment and painting, the Maritime Science & Seamanship Fountation, engaged in activities supporting scientific and educational purposes, including the development of yachting and seamanship, and Evans Manufacturing, providing a wide variety of personalized promotional specialty items.

Visit our Governor’s Cup website at http://www.balboayachtclub.com/govcup, where you can find out more about each of this year’s supporting sponsors, and given an opportunity, support them!