International tussle on first day of Gov Cup
'Mary Longpre - Govenors Cup 2008'
The Governor's Cup Regatta was off to a flying start on Thursday, July 17, with thirty Round Robin matches held for the twelve teams. The day was overcast, with winds of 6 to 8 knots, and calm seas. When racing started the temperature was 73 degrees, dropping to 65 degrees as the afternoon progressed.
During the series, the defending champion team, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, with Michael Menninger at the helm, was undefeated. Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and St. Thomas Yacht Club have both won four, with STYC losing only to CYCofA, and CYCof A losing only to NHYC. Racing tomorrow should be exciting to watch. Close mark roundings were typical, with the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club from Australia fighting tooth and nail at the weather mark with the Royal Yachting Association team from England.
The team from San Diego Yacht Club, experienced in fleet racing but not match racing, is tied with the young Balboa Yacht Club team, neither winning a match to date. The BYC team has been sailing together for only during the past month, but has a good future planned as they gain experience.
To complete the Round Robin series of match races requires 6 matches each in eleven flights, or sixty-six matches. Three days are alloted to complete the races, with a repechage for places three through six, and a consolation round for places seven through twelve. The top four teams will be selected after the repechage by Saturday afternoon. Those four teams will race on Sunday to decide the final standings as well as the ultimate winning team. The Awards Ceremony will be held on the Flag Deck as soon as practicable after racing on Sunday.
The results for the first day include:
(After 5 rounds of six matches each)
Wins Losses
0 5 Balboa Yacht Club - Host club
4 1 Cruising Yacht Club of Australia - Sydney, Australia
3 2 Iate Clube Do Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2 3 Mission Bay Yacht Club - San Diego, California
5 0 Newport Harbor Yacht Club - Newport Beach, California
2 3 Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club - Western Australia
3 2 Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron - Auckland, New Zealand
2 3 Royal Yachting Association - United Kingdom
0 5 San Diego Yacht Club - San Diego, California
3 2 Southern Yacht Club - New Orleans, Louisiana
2 3 St. Francis Yacht Club - San Francisco, California
4 1 St. Thomas Yacht Club - Virgin Islands
The event is sponsored by The Yacht Barn, builder of the Gov Cup 21's, The Newport Balboa Sailing and Seamanship Foundation, Tommy Bahamas Island Grille, CR&R Recycling and Waste Services, Taco Bell, West Marine, Niagara, Island Marine Fuel, Hurley and Barnacle Bills Underwater Yacht Maintenance.
website: www.balboayachtclub.com
by Nancy Mellon 
