GovCup: Jack 'The Giant Slayer' Parkin takes down Price and Takahashi; will his team's h

NEWPORT BEACH, CA (#1071) – At one point on Wednesday afternoon, the 52nd Governor’s Cup international youth sailing championship seemed to be headed for a familiar outcome. Defending champion Christophe Killian, a Corona del Mar High alumnus, Harry Price, Leonard Takahashi and Chris Weis were the four semifinalists a year ago. After the first of two round-robin heats in this year’s competition, the same four sailors seemed destined to make it back to Friday’s semifinals. That may still happen, but the story of the second day of the five-day regatta was Jack Parkin, a 19-year-old from Connecticut who won the U.S. Youth Match Racing Championship last month to earn an automatic invitation to the Governor’s Cup. Parkin and his Riverside Yacht Club crew beat first Price, then Takahashi in the first two flights of the second round robin off the Newport Pier. Parkin’s day ended with a loss to Killian, but he made things interesting as the second round robin continues Thursday in the event hosted by Balboa Yacht Club. –Matt Szabo, sports writer for the Daily Pilot (Newport Beach) and the LA Times, in a terrific article he penned lat evening after being afloat with us on the media boat, Paul Blank's PROMOTION, yesterday afternoon.

Read Mr Szabo's full story here.

Harry Price (AUS), above, the world #1-ranked match racer (of any age) was beaten yesterday by Jack Parkin (USA, Riverside Yacht Club). Parkin also defeated the other pre-regatta favorite, Leonard Takahashi (NZL). Will his team's hot streak continue today (Thursday) and qualify them for the semis which begin Friday?