St. Mary's College of Maryland is pleased to announce that its highly anticipated 39^th annual Governor’s Cup Yacht Race, to be held on Aug. 3-4, is open for registration. Qualified sailors who want to participate in the race are encouraged to register through the official Gov’ Cup website, www.smcm.edu/GovCup, by 5 p.m. on July 27.

Each year, hundreds of boating enthusiasts participate in and gather shoreside for the oldest and longest overnight race on the Chesapeake Bay, starting from Annapolis, MD and ending at St. Mary’s River, St. Mary’s City. This year’s race will also include a Potomac Leg; some competitors will start at Dahlgren, VA and end at St. Mary’s City along with the finishers from Annapolis.

On Aug. 4, the last day of the race, from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. at the College’s James P. Muldoon River Center, attendees can enjoy a full day of family-fun activities to include:

• Shopping for Gov’ Cup merchandise provided by Chesapeake Custom Embroidery
• Beverages by the Leonardtown Rotary Club
• Food selections provided by various vendors
• A variety of live entertainment, including Southern Maryland music legend Deanna Dove
• Afternoon music by the Caribbean Calypso Trio "Ewabo" (Entertainment Tent)
• Night time music by 'The Byzantine Top 40'

In addition to the festivities, attendees will be able to track progress of the race in real-time through live GPS on the Gov’ Cup website.

This event is open to the press. If you would like to cover Gov’ Cup, contact Arminta Stanfield at ajstanfield@smcm.edu.

For information about the event, email govcup@smcm.edu or call the Gov’ Cup phone line at 240-895-3039.