London, UK (29 November 2019) The 56th edition of the Congressional Cupยฎ, organized by Long Beach Yacht Club in California, will play host to the opening event of the 2020 World Match Racing Tour season April 29 – May 3, 2020. An expected field of ten teams will battle for the Congressional Cupยฎ trophy and a share of the USD75,000 prize purse. The announcement marks the return of the Congressional Cupยฎ to the World Match Racing Tour after a two year hiatus.
Founded by Long Beach Yacht Club in 1965, the Congressional Cupยฎ is commonly referred to as the โgranddaddyโ of match racing, and is the oldest continuously-held sailing match race regatta in the world. The event has long set the standard for top-level match racing, and pioneered the concept of on-water umpiring, used by match racing events around the world including the Americaโs Cup.
โI am delighted Long Beach Yacht Club has agreed to host the opening event of our 20th year of the World Match Racing Tourโ commented WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance. โThe Congressional Cupยฎ is a hugely popular event with competitors and visitors, added to which the racing venue right off the end of Long Beachโs Belmont Pier is the selected sailing venue for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.โ
The list of Congressional Cupยฎ past winners reads a whoโs-who of international match racing and Americaโs Cup champions including Ted Turner, Dennis Conner, Ed Baird, Dean Barker, Taylor Canfield, James Spithill, Paul Cayard, Terry Hutchinson, Francesco Bruni, to name a few. Six-time match racing world champion and four-time past winner of the Congressional Cupยฎ Ian Williams is the reigning event champion.
Each year, the worldโs top ranked match racing sailors return to Long Beach in a bid for the prestigious Congressional Cupยฎ trophy, and the equally sought after Crimson Blazer, sailingโs equivalent to The Masters Green Jacket in pro golf.
โOur club has had a long relationship with the World Match Racing Tour and we are pleased to return to the World Tour as an official World Championship Eventโ added 2020 Congressional Cupยฎ Chair Cheri Busch. โIt is a very exciting time for Long Beach Yacht Club with our role as official yacht club for the Stars + Stripes Americaโs Cup Challenge, as well as venue to the 2028 Olympic sailing event. We pride ourselves on hosting the very best events at Long Beach Yacht Club and we are delighted to welcome back the World Match Racing Tour to Long Beach.โ
The five-day regatta will feature ten world class teams including six Tour Card skippers plus the top two finishers of the Ficker Cup, the official qualifier event to the Congressional Cupยฎ also run by Long Beach Yacht Club 24-26 April, 2020. The remaining invitations are awarded to the winner of the US Match Racing Grand Slam Series, and the immediate past winner of the Congressional Cup. Skippers competing at both events will earn points to the World Match Racing Tour annual leaderboard, giving the sailors the opportunity to accumulate points towards the 2020 Match Racing World Championship title.
ABOUT THE CONGRESSIONAL CUPยฎ
The Congressional Cupยฎ is hosted by the Long Beach Yacht Club, renowned for its outstanding hospitality and organization, utilizing the talents and energy of more than 300 member volunteers to host this Grade One competition. Since 1965 the worldโs top ranked skippers have come here to vie for the esteemed Congressional Cupยฎ and the Crimson Blazer โ an honor bestowed to sailing icons like Dennis Conner, Dean Barker, Ken Read, Ted Turner, Taylor Canfield and more. Races are sailed in a fleet of identical 37-foot Catalina monohulls designed specifically for the event, which guarantees an even platform and excitingย competition.ย http://www.thecongressionalcup.com
ABOUT THE WORLD MATCH RACING TOURย
Founded in 2000, theย World Match Racing Tourย (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The World Tour represents a series of independently organised and officially sanctioned match racing events. Teams accumulate points from each of the events towards an overall WMRT global ranking, the top twelve teams from which compete in the WMRT Championship Finals at the end of the season.
The WMRT is awarded โSpecial Eventโ status by the sportโs world governing body โ World Sailing โ and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Previous Champions include Bertrand Pace (FRA), Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Jesper Radich (DEN), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Ian Williams (GBR), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Taylor Canfield (ISV), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Torvar Mirsky (AUS).
The WMRT is a match racing competition with racing taking place in identically supplied racing yachts which change for each event and which place a firm focus on teamwork, strategy and skill. Racing takes place close to shore to create stadium-style viewing for spectators.
Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of todayโs professional sailors.ย www.wmrt.com
