The 61st annual Congressional Cup regatta, widely regarded as one of the premier competitions in modern match racing, will take place this week off the coast of Long Beach.
The Long Beach Yacht Club established the Congressional Cup in 1965, making it the longest-running regatta of its kind in North America. It’s known as the “Granddaddy” of match racing — and helped set the standard for world-class match racing across the globe.
“For Long Beach, it epitomizes our lifestyle and climate — beach and ocean,” said Lisa Meier, LBYC’s 2025 commodore, who is leading the race’s media effort, “(and it has) a broadcast distribution to 141 countries worldwide through 72 international broadcasters.”
The Congressional Cup will run from Wednesday to Sunday, April 29-May 3.
Top-ranked skippers from across the world will come to Long Beach — as they do every year — to compete for the prestigious Congressional Cup trophy and the coveted crimson blazer, which is often compared to the green jacket that golfers receive for winning the Masters Tournament.
“As a founding event of the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) in 2000,” said WMRT CEO James Pleasance CEO, “the Congressional Cup is one of the world’s most-iconic international match racing events, one that every top match racing sailor strives to win.”
Two-time defending champion Chris Poole mans the wheel for his American team which finished second in the 60th Congressional Cup on Sunday, May 4, 2025, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
A Swedish team skippered by Johnie Berntsson wins the Fleet Race competition at the 60th Congressional Cup on Sunday, May 4, 2025, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
A Swiss team, left, led by Eric Monnin goes on to win the 60th Congressional Cup 3-2 on Sunday, May 4, 2025, in a hard fought battle with Chris Poole’s American team in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Angi Carelli, left, Pat Watkins and Sharon Morford watch the first day of racing at the Congressional Cup from Belmont Pier on Wednesday, April 30. (Photo by Scott Smeltzer, Contributing Photographer)
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Two-time defending champion Chris Poole mans the wheel for his American team which finished second in the 60th Congressional Cup on Sunday, May 4, 2025, in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The Congressional Cup is an important part of the WMRT championship, an international series spanning 17 events across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
As a championship level WMRT event, the Congressional Cup directly influences the world championship standings and attracts the sport’s most accomplished international sailors — many of whom have competed in other prestigious races, such as the America’s Cup and SailGP.
“I’m pretty sure we continue to put up the best collection of racers on the best sailing water,” regatta Chair Ken Mattfeld wrote in an email, “with the best spectator arrangements, using the most evenly matched boats watched by the best collection of umpires and managed by the best race committee.”
Ten skippers and their crews will compete in the Congressional Cup this year, though the final two weren’t set to be confirmed until Sunday, April 26, when the Ficker Cup wraps up in Long Beach. The Ficker Cup, which began on Friday, is a qualifier for the Congressional Cup — with the top-two finishers advancing to next week’s main event.
“My eight invited skippers are all ranked in (WMRT)’s top 10,” Mattfeld wrote, “except defending champ Eric Monnin, who sits at 11.”
This will be Monnin’s 12th Congressional Cup.
“We are very much looking forward to Long Beach coming soon,” the Swiss skipper wrote in an email. “It will be a special feeling for us, being the title holder.”
The confirmed skippers and their crews are:
Monnin (SUI), with crewmembers Julien Falxa, Maxime Mesnil, Jean Claude Monnin, Marc Monnin, Ute Monnin Wagner and Cyril Schüpbach.
Chris Poole (USA), a two-time Congressional Cup champion and the no. 1-ranked sailor in the world, with crewmembers Joachim Aschenbrenner, Bernardo Freitas, Mal Parker, Luke Payne and Harry West
Johnie Berntsson(SWE), the 2009 Congressional Cup winner and no. 2 in the world, with crewmembers Martin Krite, Johan Bäckman, Bjorn Lundgren, Henrik Walderyd and Daniel Wallberg.
Cole Tapper (AUS), no. 3 in the world, with crewmembers Max Brennan, Jack Frewin, Nathan Guliksen, George Richardson, Hamish Vass and Jordon Reece.
Ian Garreta (FRA), no. 4 in the world, with crewmembers Calixte Benoit, Simon Bertheau, Thibaut Demal, Pierre Garreta, Gaulthier Germain and Vicenç Girodeau.
Aurelien Pierroz (FRA), no. 5 in the world, with crewmembers Sebastien Riot, Aurélien Barthelemy, Paul Dagault, Luckily Guimbertaud, Jules Ducelier and Hugo Feydit.
Jeppe Borch (DEN), no. 6 in the world, with crewmembers Bastian Beach, August de la Cour, Thomas Jorgensen, Matias Rossing and Gustav Wantzin.
Christian Prendergast (USA), no. 10 in the world, with crewmembers Sam Gilmour, Connor Mashlan, Peter Nicholas, James Prendergast, Mark Spearman and Justin Wong.
Registration and practice for the Congressional Cup will take place on Tuesday, April 28 — and matches will begin on Wednesday. The competition will end on Sunday, May 3.
The competition will take place just off the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, 35 39th Place, often referred to as the “pit row seats” of match racing. The water area in front of the pier is officially designated “Congressional Cup Stadium.”
“I realized only after registration that four of us, the majority on the boat, will be from our family,” Monnin said in his email. “As much as on the boat this doesn’t change much, it is pleasant to share this week with my two brothers and my wife. As my little son will also be here with grandma, it is some kind of a family expedition.”
The regatta itself is very much a family affair. Generations of LBYC members have volunteered for the annual event, and members also provide housing in their homes for sailors, umpires, media and other officials. Every morning, volunteers serve competitors breakfast, and boat hostesses provision the Catalina 37s with lunches and greet the teams upon their return.
“The club members and all the volunteers make the Congressional Cup so unique,” Monnin said. “You never feel the spirit of the club so much than in Long Beach.”
Randy Smith — who has competed in, umpired and conducted more than 2,000 races on the Congressional Cup Stadium Course during his career — will serve as the regatta’s principal race officer.
New this year are robotic buoys, which will be used as marks on the racecourse, replacing traditional inflatable anchored marks with precise, GPS-controlled floating ones. The Race Committee will send instructions to each bot about where it should be on the course via an app.
Each bot will go to its assigned position and stay there until it is instructed to move. Some of the bots have sensors on them that constantly report changing wind speeds and direction data to the Race Committee. That allows the Race Committee to adjust the racecourse as wind and tide conditions shift. Bots also provide mark placement accuracy that enhances fairness, streamlines race management and reduces the time required to adjust racecourse marks manually.
“Long Beach is proud to serve as the championship stop on the tour, which is only fitting for the Aquatic Capital of America,” Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson wrote in a welcome letter in the event’s program. “Our city’s storied history in both motorsports and yacht racing, home to the famous Grand Prix of auto racing and the (Congressional Cup) reflects our passion for world-class athleticism, and our commitment to hosting top-tier sporting events.”
Public viewing is free. There are grandstands, restrooms and free golf cart shuttles. To park at the lot adjacent to the pier, download the Passport Parking App on your phone and follow the prompts to pay, extend and manage your parking session. The Congressional Cup will also be livestreamed starting on Friday at thecongressionalcup.com.