57th Governor's Cup Day 3: Petersen (USA) and Tapper (AUS) set for the semis
by Susan Kenney 25 Jul 2024 21:20 PDT
July 22-27, 2024
Jeffrey Petersen (USA) and crew Daniel Pegg and Enzo Menditto - 57th Governor's Cup © Tom Walker
The 2021 and 2023 Governor's Cup winner, Jeffrey Petersen (USA), again went undefeated in today's round robin racing to stay on top of the leaderboard with a near-perfect score-line of 18 wins and one loss.
Team Petersen is guaranteed to be one of the four semi-finalists when the best-of-five-race series begins on Friday.
Likewise, 2023 runner-up Cole Tapper (AUS) also went undefeated today and is through to the semis on 17-2.
Three others are in contention for the remaining two semi-final berths: Josh Hyde (NZL) with 14-5, Justin Callahan (USA) 12-7, and Morgan Pinckney (USA) 11-8.
The GovCup Steering Committee Chair and two-time Governor's Cup winner, Andy Rose (USA), said, "It's no surprise that last year's four semi-finalists are in the hunt again this year. However, and as some of us predicted prior to the regatta, 20-year-old Josh Hyde (NZL), in his second GovCup, is having a strong regatta and is all but assured of going forward."
Thursday's racing was a mixed bag of light to medium breeze, with a rare heavy fog bank that rolled through mid-afternoon, reducing visibility to less than 100 meters. Regardless, racing continued apace.
Chief Umpire Damien Boldyrew (AUS) said, "Despite the fog, the umpires are close enough to the yachts to see everything and make the calls. Back at Balboa Yacht Club, after the race day, most of the sailors agreed, with one saying, 'Even with the fog, their calls were about as good as usual.'"
The "GovCup" is the oldest and most prestigious youth match racing championship in the world, and is sponsored again this year by Terry Causey, Call of the Sea, Dr. Rob Bray / DISC Sports and Spine Center, and the Croul Family.
While the top teams have all shown impressive boat speed and tactics throughout the series, Team Petersen's excellent boat handling and speed, and Team Tapper's tactics particularly at the starts, have once again elevated them to the top of the fleet.
Thursday was Day Three of the round robin stage. Nineteen of 22 round robin flights (where each team races each of the other teams twice) have been completed. Round Robin 2 wraps on Friday. At the end of Round Robin 2, the top four yachts advance to a best-of-five semi-final series on Friday and Saturday, with the best-of-five finals set later in the afternoon on Saturday, July 27.
Results are updated live each day during racing on MatchRacingResults.com.
The live "Pre-Race Morning Shows" produced by GovCup TV air daily through Saturday at 0900 PDT / 1600 UTC. Watch the Morning Show live on the Balboa Yacht Club YouTube channel and the GovCup Facebook page, or a replay on demand afterward. Live coverage of the racing airs on Friday and Saturday at 1130 PDT / 1830 UTC. Friday's press conference with the four semi-finals will also be covered live at 1900 PDT / 0200+1 UTC. Saturday's final press conference and awards ceremony will also air live beginning at 1700 PDT / 0000+1 UTC.