A signal cannon blast from the Maryland Dove marked the early morning arrival of Dark Star, the first boat to cross the floating finish line at the 53rd Annual Governor’s Cup Yacht Race, presented by PNC Bank and held July 31–Aug. 1, 2026.
The Governor’s Cup runs from Annapolis to St. Mary’s College of Maryland in St. Mary’s City, connecting the state’s current capital with its first. This year’s race also offered a Potomac leg beginning in Dahlgren, Virginia, along with two additional satellite routes departing from Solomons Island in Calvert County and the Piankatank River in Virginia — options that have grown the event well beyond its original 1974 route, when then-college President J. Renwick Jackson and three St. Mary’s College students helped launch the race.
Dark Star, a Pearson 37 skippered by Doug Savage, was first off the Potomac leg, crossing at 2:42 a.m. and going on to win its class outright. Endorphin, a Farr 400 skippered by Erik Wulff, was first to complete the Annapolis leg, finishing at 6:44 a.m. — but crossing first, known as “line honors,” doesn’t reflect the overall winner. Despite finishing ahead of the rest of its class chronologically, Endorphin placed eighth of nine boats once handicap-adjusted corrected times were applied, according to official results. A full breakdown of results is available online.
The Dove, a replica of one of the tall ships that first explored what would become the Maryland colony of St. Mary’s City, has traditionally served as the floating finish line. The current vessel, launched in 2022 and built at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, replaced an earlier 1978 replica and represents the original Dove, which sailed alongside the Ark in 1634 carrying supplies and colonists to the new colony. Throughout the day, more than 70 boats crossed between the Dove and Church Point to complete the longest overnight yacht race on the Chesapeake Bay, each finish marked by either a signal cannon blast or an air horn depending on class.
Rick Loheed, St. Mary’s College’s associate director of the waterfront — and the race’s own Race Director since 2008 — competed this year aboard his boat Poor Richard, crewed by two current St. Mary’s College students and one alumnus.
Loheed said Annapolis starts were staggered in two waves, a 4 p.m. start for slower boats and a 5 p.m. rolling start for faster ones, with light winds making for a slow start both times. But the conditions weren’t without their upside. “It was a beautiful night with an orange moon shining on the water as we were tacking toward the east,” he said, adding that by morning the sun had risen while the moon was still visible.
As the day progressed, Loheed said the wind picked up, giving him moments of “great sailing” as he nearly caught the fifth-place boat in his class. He ultimately placed sixth, finishing Saturday afternoon at 2:45 p.m. — official results show Poor Richard crossing just 44 minutes behind fifth-place Makai.
Racers and guests were greeted Saturday morning at the college’s waterfront with live music, local food trucks and post-race activities, capped by an afternoon awards ceremony. The weekend also opened Friday with a launch celebration for alumni and race supporters at the Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park.
The Governor’s Cup post-race dinner returned this year after more than a decade away. Tickets to the waterfront luau sold out quickly, with roughly 200 people enjoying Hawaiian food alongside hula dancers and a Polynesian fire dancer.
