New Zealanders win Governor’s Cup Race in Newport Beach (Update: 9:55 a.m.)

Royal Zealand Yacht Squadron defended its title this weekend, winning the 44th annual Governor’s Cup race at the Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach.

The Kiwis bested a field of 13 teams in the annual junior racing regatta. William Tiller, Harry Thurston and Shaun Mason won the final two races for the title on behalf of Royal New Zealand. A round-robin format decided the winners.

They New Zealand team was followed by the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, which finished second with a team made up of Chris Segerblom, Connor Bathen and Kieran Chung from Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

The final races were described in a Sail-world.com news release as “very close and exciting.”

“In the first race of the finals, RNZYS’s Tiller prevailed over NHYC Segerblom,” according to the release. “Tiller’s team is one of only two who had beaten the Segerblom team during the whole regatta. The Royal Port Nicholson team also won a race against them in the round robin.

“In the final race, Segerblom rounded the first mark eight seconds ahead but had spinnaker problems, so Tiller had a chance to catch up. He went left to find breeze and at the next cross was ahead. Tiller rounded the next mark 10 seconds ahead and was able to win.”

The New Zealand team will not be eligible to compete in the 2011 contest, but the Segerbrlom team will be.

Final Standings, 2010 Governor’s Cup*

1st Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Tiller

2nd Newport Harbor YC, Segerblom

3rd Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club (NZ), Steven

4th Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, Griffin

5th San Diego Yacht Club, Snow

6th Mission Bay Yacht Club, Hoffmann

7th Howth Yacht Club (Ireland), Scott

8th Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (Aus), Reece

9th Lake Beulah Yacht Club, Haeger

10th Newport Harbor Yacht Club, Mason

11th Royal Yachting Association, Lees

12th Balboa Yacht Club, Davidson

13th Club Nautico Mar Del Plata, Rogala

*Source: Sail-world.com