Balboa tack-tics help Newport Harbor

Rick Devereux

The Newport Harbor Yacht Club edged out the Balboa Yacht Club, 3-2,

in the best-of-five semifinal round of the Governor’s Cup Challenge

held in the waters off Newport Pier.

The first two rounds of round-robin action determined the

standings for the semis, dividing the 12 teams into three groups. The

top qualifier in each group chose what team they would face in the

semifinals. The two winners in each group face each other today at

the 11:30 a.m. finals.

NHYC was the top qualifier in group two and chose BYC. The match

came down to the fifth and deciding race, and NHYC had the lead for

most of the race. BYC tried to maneuver itself into a position to

take all of the wind and not let NHYC have any gusts, but to do so

meant rotating the spinnaker sail from one side of the boat to the

other.

The strategy worked as BYC was able to make up several yards and

take the lead heading into the last mark. But all of tacking caused

the BYC to wrap its spinnaker, allowing NHYC to sail to an easy

victory.

NHYC will race King Harbor Yacht Club today. The winner will join

Del Rey Yacht Club and receive an invitation by the Royal New Zealand

Squadron to participate in the International Youth Match Race Series

in New Zealand. BYC will race the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.