LONG BEACH, CA (21 October, 2024) – The Long Beach Yacht Club today posted the Notice of Race for its milestone 60th Anniversary of The Congressional Cup, the club’s flagship event, from April 30 – May 4, 2025. The event will be preceded by the Ficker Cup Grade 2 event from April 25-27 which will award the top two finishers an invitation to The Congressional Cup.
Recognized as the ‘grandfather’ of modern world-class match racing, The Congressional Cup is the longest running event of its kind in North America, founded by Long Beach Yacht Club in 1965 and run annually by over 300 club volunteers. Since 2000, the event has been represented as a world championship stage of the World Match Racing Tour, the world’s longest running professional sailing series.
Past Congressional Cup champions and recipients of the famous Crimson Blazer read like a who’s who of the international sailing world including notable world champions, Olympic and America’s Cup sailors such as Ted Turner (USA), Dennis Conner (USA), Rod Davis (NZL), Harold Cudmore (GBR), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Chris Dickson (NZL), Terry Hutchinson (USA), Gavin Brady (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL), Francesco Bruni (ITA), Taylor Canfield (USA), Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Ian Williams (GBR) and Chris Poole (USA).
‘Meeting so many skippers, crew, and umpires during the 37th America’ Cup events in Barcelona who have made their mark at the Ficker Cup and Congressional Cup highlights the pivotal role these world-class regattas play in the sailing community’ commented Lisa Meier, incoming Commodore of Long Beach Yacht Club for 2025. ‘Ficker Cup and Congressional Cup not only attract top talent around the globe but also serve as vital stepping stones for emerging sailors looking to refine their skills and gain invaluable experience. The camaraderie and shared passion for sailing among participants create an inspiring atmosphere, fostering connections that can lead to future collaborations and advancements in match racing.’
For more information on Congressional Cup visit www.thecongressionalcup.com; and www.wmrt.com for details on the World Match Racing Tour.
CONTACT
LBYC Race Office – Cameron MacLaren raceoffice@lbyc.org
World Match Racing Tour info@wmrt.com
The Notice of Races can be found on the official notice board for each regatta and by clicking the links below. Interested skippers can also submit a request for an invitation there.
NOTICE OF RACE – CONGRESSIONAL CUP
ABOUT LONG BEACH YACHT CLUB
Established in 1929, Long Beach Yacht Club is recognized as a leading organization in the international yachting community for its commitment to excellence in yacht racing and innovation in race management. In addition to hosting the Congressional Cup and numerous other local, national and international yachting events, the Club’s member families enjoy a year-round calendar of social, yachting and junior activities at its beautiful clubhouse on the shore of Alamitos Bay. www.lbyc.org
ABOUT WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR
Founded in 2000, the World MatchRacing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. TheWMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body –World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World SailingMatch Racing World Champion. Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and itsevents have awarded over USD24million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors. www.wmrt.com