Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo 2023 M600 LEADERBOARD

Three 2024 semi-finalists including defending Champ Cole Tapper (AUS) return for 2025 Governor's Cup

by Susan Kenney 26 Mar 08:11 UTC 29 July - 3 August 2025
Governor's Cup winners – crew Hamish Vass and Jack Frewin with Cole Tapper (AUS) - 57th Governor's Cup © Tom Walker

Governor's Cup will be July 29 - August 3; World's match race skippers under 23 invited to file a Request for Invitation.

Defending champion Cole Tapper (AUS) leads a field of early invitees for the 58th Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship and will be joined by three of four of his semi-final opponents from 2024. The fourth was runner-up and two time "GovCup" winner and world youth champion Jeffrey Petersen (USA) who lost last year to Tapper in a tight 3-2 battle, but who has now aged out of the under-23 regatta.

2024 3rd place finisher Justin Callahan (USA) will again be joined by his petit final opponent, Josh Hyde (NZL), who has had a spectacular year in youth match racing since last year, winning, among other regattas, the under-25 Hardy Cup in Australia. Tapper and Hyde are number 1 and 2 in the current World Sailing Youth Open Rankings, and Tapper is #8 in the Open (no-age limit) Rankings.

Also invited are Michael Kirkman (USA), the U.S. Intercollegiate Match Racing Champion, and Morgan Pinckney (USA), a two-time GovCup podium finisher and #8 in the youth rankings. "It is likely that Balboa Yacht Club's Siena Nichols will also receive an invitation," said GovCup Steering Committee Chair and two-time winner Andy Rose. "She is only 16 but her skills are those of a much more experienced match racer. Whether this year, or one or more of the five more years she is eligible, I fully expect her to be the second female winner of the GovCup." Gisele Camet (USA) was the first female winner, in 1991.

The Governor's Cup, presented by Terry Causey and the Call of the Sea Foundation, is the oldest youth (under 23 years old) match racing championship in the world. It includes among its alumni many of the finest sailors in the world including two-time America's Cup winner James Spithill (AUS) and multiple Congressional Cup and World Match Racing Tour champ Taylor Canfield (USA).

The Governor's Cup Selection Committee will choose the remaining skippers based on Requests for Invitation ("RFI") received by April 11, 2025. RFI forms and other information are on the event website www.govcupracing.com under "Race Documents."

The twelfth and final invitee will be the winner of June's U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship for the Rose Cup which this year, on its fifteenth anniversary, returns to its founding Balboa Yacht Club June 25-29. "It should be quite a summer for youth match racing at BYC,," said Christine Gribben, a Balboa YC director and Chair of both events.

Related Articles

Time to nerd out a bit
Possibly a big bit, as it turns out. Historically we know I am up for it, but how about you? Possibly a big bit, as it turns out. Anyway, historically we know I am up for it, but how about you? Right oh. Unequivocally, the greater electrification space is not just THE hot topic presently, it also changes at a prodigious rate. Posted on 3 Apr
Top 10 baits from the Harris Chain
While many anglers didn't rely on whole tackle box, a lot of different baits worked for the field The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Southern Division event at the Harris Chain on March 27-29 was dominated by two things: Dylan Quilatan and Lake Apopka. Posted on 3 Apr
Bayliss Boatworks new construction updates
Big Deal is reaching significant milestones Big Deal is reaching significant milestones, starting with a major exterior update. Posted on 2 Apr
Nautically inspired jewellery from Angela Lago
Beautifully made nautical-inspired jewellery There's something we all seem to share as true lovers of the sea—especially those of us drawn to the nautical world. It's a deep connection with authenticity, nature, and the undeniable pull of freedom. Posted on 2 Apr
Maritimo M50 Flybridge Motor Yacht Reveal Trailer
Maritimo M50 Flybridge Motor Yacht, a masterpiece that seamlessly combines luxury and innovation Discover the allure of the Maritimo M50 Flybridge Motor Yacht, a masterpiece that seamlessly combines luxury and innovation. Drawing inspiration from Maritimo's flagship models, this yacht offers a unique blend of elegance and functionality. Posted on 1 Apr
Marine Auctions: April Online Auctions
Bavaria 32 sailing yacht, Williams 36 motor cruiser and much more Up for auction: Bavaria 32 sailing yacht, Williams 36 motor cruiser, Mustang 2800 powerboat, Cobalt 243 cuddy cabin, Monterey 270 cruiser, Arber 9 sailing catamaran, and much more. Posted on 1 Apr
New IGFA Junior Line & Tippet Class World Records
Expanding youth records to celebrate skill, ethics, and conservation IGFA is excited to announce the launch of new Junior Line Class and Junior Tippet Class World Record categories, giving anglers aged 16 and under even more opportunities to be recognized for their achievements on the water. Posted on 1 Apr
Caleb Kuphall's go-to Spinnerbait and Jig Rods
Spinnerbaits and jigs are two of the top presentations in bass fishing Spinnerbaits and jigs are two of the top presentations in bass fishing. Bassmaster Elite and NPFL angler, Caleb Kuphall, discusses the specific Victory and Legend Tournament Bass rod models he relies on for these staple techniques. Posted on 28 Mar
Sailfish techniques for catching mahi mahi
They are found world-wide in temperate offshore waters Dolphin fish, commonly referred to using their Hawaiian name "mahi mahi" to avoid confusion with dolphin mammals ("Flipper"), ranks as one of the most popular fish in the ocean. Posted on 26 Mar
Top 10 baits from Lake Chickamauga
Minnows were the name of the game at Chick, but there were other big players The Toyota Series Presented by Phoenix Boats Central Division tournament on Lake Chickamauga was a big success, with heavy weights and lots of fish caught. Posted on 26 Mar
Palm Beach Motor YachtsMaritimo 2023 M600 FOOTER