Morgan Pinckney has won the Governor's Cup at his fifth attempt, defeating Balboa YC's Siena Nichols 3-0 in the final to become only the second American to complete the "Triple Crown" of US youth match racing.
The Newport Harbor YC sailor, 21 and the reigning Youth World Match Racing Champion, had to battle his way into the final after sitting seventh with two rounds robin races to go. He won both, benefited from key losses by others, and squeezed into the top four on a tie-break.
New Zealand's Josh Hyde (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron) had been the standout performer of the week, either leading or sharing the lead every night and finishing the double rounds robin with 17 wins. He chose third-ranked Siena Nichols as his semi-final opponent, leaving Pinckney to face Hayhoe. It looked the safer draw for Hyde, but 17-year-old Nichols had other ideas. Down 0-2, she and her crew of Maddie Nichols, Eddie Kliem, and Kai Brennan won three straight to take the semi 3-2. Hyde finished fourth overall.
Pinckney had a more straightforward semi, defeating Hayhoe 3-1. His crew of Sabrina Anderson, Cam Spriggs, and Kelly Holthus then took the final in three straight races, though the racing was close throughout with lead changes in several.
The all-Newport Beach final is something most observers believe has not happened in the modern era of the event, which has included international teams since 1989.
Pinckney's Triple Crown, combining the Rose Cup, the Youth Worlds, and the Governor's Cup, puts him alongside Balboa YC's Jeffrey Petersen as the only Americans to have achieved the feat. Petersen was part of the Governor's Cup television commentary team on the day and said, "Morgan came from deep and managed to win the GovCup with sheer determination and great poise."
This was the 59th edition of the Governor's Cup, presented by Terry Causey and the Call of the Sea Foundation, and widely regarded as the oldest and most prestigious international youth match racing championship in the world.
