GOVERNOR’S CUP:Annapolis like a King

NEWPORT BEACH — Someone say practice?

We’re talking about practice man.Over and over one member from the Annapolis Yacht Club from Maryland crew mentioned the three-man crew practicing before the 41st annual Governor’s Cup.

We’re talking about practice.

We’re talking about practice.

Unlike Allen Iverson’s classic lines about missing practice five years ago with the Philadelphia 76ers, Russell Cramer made sure to credit the Annapolis’ success Tuesday.

Being prepared this time around for the U.S. international junior match racing championship, unlike last year, steered the Annapolis in the right direction — near the top.

Annapolis went 5-1 on the first day of round-robin action, finishing tied with Cruising Yacht Club of Australia for second place behind Newport Harbor Yacht Club in the 12-boat competition hosted by the Balboa Yacht Club.

“We’re really happy to come out here and start the regatta off right,” said Cramer, 18, of the longest-running youth match regatta in the world. “I don’t remember [last year how we finished the first day], but it was not very good, probably 11 out of 12.

“This year we really practiced a lot and really concentrated. Hopefully it will pay off.”

One look at the crew, which includes skipper Ted Hale and also Harry Scott, and the fascination with being in Southern California is gone.

They’re over Disneyland. But not with everything Orange County has to offer, though. The weather in Newport Beach is still perfect as it was in the 70s. Better than in Maryland.

“At home, it’s 90 degrees and humid, so it feels like 100 degrees,” Cramer said. “Out here, it’s sunny and breezy.”

The conditions weren’t as ideal early on, with choppy waters and weak winds. They say speed kills, but the teams were killing time during the 1 1/2 -mile course against each other.

The races lagged behind, taking as long as a half an hour to complete.

One team used the Buttercup, dubbed as high performing as the other 11 keel boats. Can you believe that? No lie. But Annapolis drew the King King.

The name of the boat says it all. Just like the “Love Boat.” But Annapolis showed no love to its competitors, only once cracking when it met the St. Thomas Yacht Club of the Virgin Islands.

“We just couldn’t catch a break with the wind,” Cramer said. “They caught the right shift first, and that was pretty much the game.”

Game over just like that for Annapolis and any chance of heading into today’s round-robin action scheduled for 1 p.m. unbeaten.

St. Thomas, which is 4-2, tried ending things for Australia, too. This time without even winning as St. Thomas protested the race to an official.

“They weren’t happy with the way we were hiking,” said Jonathon English, who’s in the U.S. for the first time. “It was just sort of a different way of sailing, just different approaches. We’d face one way, they’d face the other way.”

Who cares if things are done differently Down Under? English was just thrilled to be away from the winter season in Australia.

“People’s attitudes are all pretty good over here,” he said before being asked if St. Thomas crew members fit the bill.

No answer. Just laughs.

Michael Menninger of Newport Harbor laughed a little, too. Not at St. Thomas’ objection, but at his father, Bill, a former Governor’s Cup champ. Before Menninger could mutter a word about his winning year in 1973, someone yelled out, “Did you tell him about your heyday?”

Not enough time. Menninger, along with Cole Hatton, both recent Newport Harbor High graduates, and Chris Segerblom, stole the show. In the second race, NHYC showed its prowess, beating defending Governor’s Cup champ, King Harbor of Redondo Beach.

“It’s just sailing, things happen,” said Menninger, who plans to sail at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in the fall. “It’s a long regatta, so we can’t get too ahead of ourselves.”

There’s more than just practice to winning the five-day racing event. Annapolis is looking forward to today’s matchup against the leader.

“It will be a good match,” Cramer said.

Now Annapolis is talking about the game. Not practice, but the game.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].