Josh Hyde (NZL) and Morgan Pinckney (USA) Accept Early Invitations to 2026 Governor's Cup
by Emily O'Connell 12 Mar 06:02 UTC
July 27 - August 1, 2026
Skipper Josh Hyde with crew Zach Fong and Nick Drummond - 58th Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship Day 3 © Tom Walker
Final Invitees to be chosen from Requests for Invitation Received by April 10
Governor's Cup will be July 27 to August 1; Match race skippers under 23 invited to file a Request for Invitation
Morgan Pinckney (USA) of Newport Beach, California, who finished third in last year's Governor's Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship (GovCup), and fellow 2025 semi-finalist Josh Hyde (NZL) of Auckland, New Zealand, have accepted early invitations to this year's 59th GovCup. They will have a hard act to follow, after Cole Tapper (AUS) and Jeffrey Petersen (USA) each won two of the last four Cups since 2021. Both Tapper and Petersen have "aged out" of the under-23 event.
The Balboa Yacht Club's GovCup is the oldest youth match racing championship in the world. GovCup alumni include many of the finest sailors on the planet, including two-time America's Cup winner James Spithill (AUS) and multiple Congressional Cup and World Match Racing Tour champion Taylor Canfield (USA).
The GovCup Selection Committee will choose an additional nine excellent skippers based on Requests for Invitation ("RFI") received by April 10, 2026. Unlike the last few years, there are no clear favorites, although it would not surprise if veterans Pinckney and Hyde make it to their first GovCup finals. As Hyde said yesterday in an interview on the Sailing Illustrated podcast #916, "Winning the Cup would be a pretty wonderful way to end my under-23 match racing career." The event brochure, RFI forms, and other information are on the event website www.govcupracing.com under "Race Documents."
After the Selection Committee invites nine additional teams, the twelfth and final invitee will be the winner of the U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship for the Rose Cup, to be held at Oakcliff Sailing in June.
www.govcupracing.com