Application open for 2025 Governor’s Cup

Published on January 28th, 2025

The 2025 Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship is now accepting Requests for Invitation (RFI) for the 58th edition to be held July 29-August 3 in Newport Beach, CA.

The deadline for receiving RFIs is April 11, but interested skippers are encouraged to file an RFI as soon as possible as host Balboa Yacht Club may invite skippers who are particularly qualified prior to the deadline.

“We look forward to another hard-fought battle in 2025, although it will be hard to beat last year’s final match when Cole Tapper (AUS) came back from a 0-2 score to beat two-time GovCup winner Jeffrey Petersen (USA) 3-2 and win the Cup,” said Christine Gribben, Governor’s Cup Chair, noting that Tapper has a final year of eligibility and is expected to attend.

The Governor’s Cup is the oldest youth (under 23 years old) match racing championship in the world and includes among its alumni, many of the finest sailors in the world led by two-time America’s Cup winner James Spithill (AUS), multiple Congressional Cup sailors and champions as well as former World Match Racing Tour champs Spithill, Taylor Canfield (USA), Phil Robertson (NZL), and Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL).

Many of the top sailors from the 2024 event are expected to return for this year including 2024’s third and fourth place finishers, Justin Callahan (USA), and Josh Hyde (NZL). Ranked as a Grade 3 event, that could be increased based on the entry list. The 2018 Governor’s Cup is the only youth match racing event to achieve Grade 1 status.

The event uses the Governor’s Cup 22 sloops provided to the competitors by the Newport Balboa Sailing & Seamanship Association. They were designed by yacht designer and Balboa Yacht Club Staff Commodore Alan Andrews and feature fractional rigs, flat top mains, and masthead spinnakers.

Details: https://www.govcupracing.com/

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