DISC Sports & Spine Center of Newport Beach has signed on as the title sponsor of the 2021 Governor’s Cup regatta, teaming with the Balboa Yacht Club to support the International Youth Match Racing Championship for the second time in three years. Additionally, DISC founding director Dr. Robert S. Bray, Jr. continues his role as “fleet surgeon,” assisting with member health and advising the Club on COVID safety and other protocols making the event possible.
Taking place off the coast of Newport Beach, the Governor’s Cup (known as the “GovCup”) is the oldest and most prestigious youth match racing regatta in the world, with its inaugural event held in 1967. GovCup alumni, who hail from 16 countries and five continents, are among the most famous and successful international sailors.
DISC Sports & Spine Center, which was title sponsor of the 2019 Governor’s Cup regatta, renews its commitment for next week’s event.
DISC has long been a champion of competitive sailing and its notable skippers and strategists, counting such prestigious names as America’s Cup winners Jimmy Spithill and Tom Slingsby among the patients the center has helped return to sport.
“We are proud to support such a wonderful event with the distinction of having started the careers of so many top sailors around the world,” Dr. Bray said. “Sailing is also a personal passion of mine, and I enjoy being able to give back to a sport that has given so much to me.”
Governor’s Cup Entries
The Balboa Yacht Club has announced the final ten skippers that will compete in the 54th Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship.
“While we regret that teams from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom will be unable to join us, this has set up a great competition between the U.S. teams and Europe,” said regatta Chair Christine Robertson Gribben in a press statement. “We are thrilled to be able to hold the event this year after last year’s cancellation and especially excited to see the racing between U.S. and European teams.”
The European teams are from France, Denmark and Sweden. Seven U.S. teams will compete, a record since before the Cup became an international event over thirty years ago.
Two Balboa Yacht Club entries have accepted invitations: David Wood and Jeffrey Petersen, who both grew up sailing at BYC and then teamed up for their first big match racing event, the U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship for the Rose Cup in 2017, winning that event with Wood steering and Petersen crewing.
Morgan Pinkney of Newport Harbor Yacht Club will, at 16, will be the youngest skipper, and will be sailing in his first Governor’s Cup.
Balboa Yacht Club and DISC Sports & Spine intend to make the event safe for all participants. Among the many features of the safety protocols are on site complementary COVID testing before and after the Cup and the availability of vaccinations for those competitors that may not have been vaccinated by the regatta.
GovCup Media will continue to provide extensive live coverage of the event including streaming of the Monday night opening dinner and “roast” of the crews; morning pre-race shows Tuesday through Saturday; live streaming with expert commentary of all the racing Friday and Saturday as well as press conferences each of those evenings; and ending with the presentation of the Governor’s Cup Saturday after the press conference. Coverage can be found on www.facebook.com/bycgovcup.
For more information on the race, visit www.govcupracing.com.
For more information on DISC Sports & Spine, visit www.discmdgroup.com.
