Southern comfort in Cup

Bryce Alderton

Sailors in the 38th annual Governor’s Cup Challenge in the waters off

Newport Pier completed all their races on schedule for the second

straight day Thursday to finish the round-robin portion of the

international junior match-race championship and gain positioning for

the semifinal and final rounds.

Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron won four of its five races to

finish with 10 victories through two days and holds the top spot in

the field of 12 teams. Royal New Zealand will be joined in the

championship flight by Australia’s Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club,

which also won four races Thursday and has eight total victories. Del

Rey Yacht Club and Cruising Yacht Club of Australia each finished the

first two days with eight victories and sit in third and fourth,

respectively.

Newport Harbor Yacht Club and event host Balboa Yacht Club each

finished the first two days with six victories, narrowly missing

entry into the championship flight. Newport placed fifth and Balboa

finished sixth. The United Merchant Marine Academy (six victories)

and King Harbor Yacht Club (five wins) join both the area yacht clubs

in the bracket.

The remaining four teams will be grouped into bracket and also

race the final two days of the championship.

Newport Harbor, like the top team in each bracket, will pick its

opponent and the other two teams will face each other in today’s

semifinals. Each team of three sailors no older than 19 will compete

in a best-of-five format in the semifinals.

The winning teams will then face each other Saturday.

Winds out of the southwest that reached 8 knots and lower swells

provided sailors a second straight day of favorable conditions, said

Len Bose, Balboa Yacht Club fleet manager.

Bose even spotted sea lions frolicking alongside competitors on

courses set up about 300 yards off the pier.

Racing begins at 12:20 p.m. today.