The RNZYS girls crew competing in the 2009 Governor's Cup. Image copyright Mary Longpre/Longpre Photos.
by Nancy Mellon
Friday, July 17 started as a perfect Southern California day for the Gov Cup teams. A few fluffy clouds along with brisk wind meant an early start to the racing. The wind seemed to hold steady between 7 and 9 knots throughout the day, but growing light for the last series. The seas were not as lumpy as yesterday, and the sailing skills of all of the teams have markedly improved. Spinnaker handling has improved, making for smoother mark roundings.
In the first six races of the second round robin, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia is now undefeated. The most exciting race of the third day occurred in the fourth flight of the second round robin, when CYCA gained a considerable lead on the unbeaten Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's Men's team. At one point the CYCA had a fifteen boat length lead on RNZYS as they approached the weather mark. CYCA was able to win that race, so RNZYS is no longer undefeated.
The top two US teams in the final Governor's Cup standings will be invited to New Zealand in February for the International Youth Match Racing Series at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, the home base of the team in the lead for the Gov Cup. The Gov Cup is an ISAF Grade 3 match race series that features a double round robin format providing that each team will sail against each other team twice.
On the first day, six flights of eleven races each had been held. Four flights were completed on the second day, leaving one to be raced Friday, to complete the first round robin.
At the end of the first round robin, the standings were as follows:
1st - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron with 11 points.
2nd - Cruising Yacht Club of Australia with 8 points.
3rd - Newport Harbor Yacht Club with 8 points
(but placed third since CYCA beat NHYC in their race in this round robin).
4th - Mission Bay Yacht Club, with 6 points.
5th - Royal Yachting Association with 6 points
6th - Balboa Yacht Club with 5 points
7th - King Harbor Yacht Club also had five wins. (BYC beat KHYC in this series)
8th - Long Beach YC, San Francisco YC and Southern Y C all ended the series with four wins.
11th - Bermuda team with three wins..
12th - Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Women with two wins.
In the second round robin, the defending champions, Newport Harbor Yacht Club, had four wins with only two losses. They lost to CYCA and RNZYS, the teams with the best records.
At the end of the third day of racing the results for the first six flights in the second round robin are as follows:
Balboa Yacht Club 2 wins 4 losses
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia 6 wins 0 losses
King Harbor Yacht Club 4 wins 2 losses
Long Beach Yacht Club 2 wins 4 losses
Mission Bay Yacht Club 3 wins 3 losses
Newport Harbor Yacht Club 4 wins 2 losses
Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club 4 wins 2 losses
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Men 5 wins 1 loss
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Women 1 win 5 losses
Royal Yachting Association 3 wins 3 losses
San Francisco Yacht Club 2 wins 4 losses
Southern Yacht Club 0 wins 6 losses
Governor's Cup
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