(Long Beach, May 2, 2025) – The race to the semi-finals at the 60th Long Beach Yacht Club Congressional Cup is going down to the wire. With just two flights remaining in the double round robin stage, four teams are locked in a high-stakes battle for the final semi-final slots with crucial races to count.
Sweden’s Johnie Berntsson, past winner of The Congressional Cup in 2009, surged back into contention today with a standout six wins and just one loss in the second round robin. That run included a crucial win over local favorite Dave Hood, handing Berntsson a key head-to-head advantage and lifting him into a tie for fifth on a 9-7 record alongside fellow Swede Björn Hansen.
“We’re happy with how the progress is going, and we’re going to build on that to get to the semi-finals, and then from there, we’ll just keep getting better,” commented Berntsson. “But first, tomorrow, we have two important races. I’m not sure about the math and how we need to do, or if it depends on the outcome of others, it’s all quite open. And that’s great in some kind of way, but it means we need to be on our game to win.”
Australia’s Cole Tapper and USA’s Hood are sitting on ten wins and six losses, tied for third and fourth, respectively. But with four skippers separated by a single point and just two races left per team, the fight for the remaining places in the final four remains wide open.
“We had a really strong start to the regatta, so we’re happy with that. We are chasing more performance, we’re not thinking too much about who we’re racing or the points,” commented Tapper. “We’re just trying to raise our level every day, and I think we’ve done that for the most part, but we’re still making a few mistakes. So, tomorrow, if we can make fewer mistakes than today, we’ll be happy.”
Tomorrow’s matches will be make-or-break: Hansen faces Hood, while Berntsson takes on Switzerland’s Eric Monnin. Monnin, currently second overall, will also race front-runner Chris Poole and Berntsson, all very important races to decide the overall ranking.
The annual Junior Congressional Cup capped off the day in front of the Long Beach Yacht Club, where junior LBYC sailors were paired with Congressional Cup skippers for a lively fleet race in Flying Juniors—always a highlight of Congressional Cup week. As the juniors battled it out on the water, the club’s balcony was packed with spectators cheering loudly with the occasional air horn. This year’s winners are LBYC Junior Sailor Otto Wehner and Pete Nicolas / Berntsson Sailing Team.
Tomorrow’s racing will begin with what is left of the semi-finals before the finals match, where the two top teams will battle it out for the coveted Crimson Blazer.
For more information, visit www.thecongressionalcup.com. For news updates from World Match Racing Tour, visit www.wmrt.com.
Follow the action on World Match Racing Tour and Congressional Cup social media channels, with live coverage running through the finals on Sunday, May 4.
RESULTS AFTER DAY THREE
2025 CONGRESSIONAL CUP SKIPPERS
1. Chris Poole / Riptide Racing (USA)
World Ranking: 1
crew: Joachim Aschenbrenner, Ben Lamb, Mal Parker, Rob Scivenor, and Harry West
2. Johnie Berntsson / Berntsson Sailing Team (SWE)
World Ranking: 5
crew: Fredrick Aurell, Scotty Dickson, Per Frykholm, Pete Nicolas, and Carl-Johan Uckelstam
3. Eric Monnin / Capvis Swiss Match Racing (SUI)
World Ranking: 4
crew: Ute Monnin Wagner, Mathieu Renault, Jean-Claude Monnin, Simon Brügger, Julien Falxa, Maxime Mesnil
4. Rocco Attili / RBYS Racing (ITA)
World Ranking: 8
crew: Paolo Iacchia, Andres Guerra, Ludovico Mori, Gianluca Perasole, and Aurélien Pierroz
5. Ian Garreta / Med Racing (FRA)
World Ranking: 7
crew: Calixte Benoit, Thibaut Demai, Pierre Garreta, Vicenç Girodeau, Mathieu Richard, and Gaultier Tallieu
6. Cole Tapper / CYCA (AUS)
World Ranking: 13
crew: Jack Frewin, Max Brennan, Hamish Vass, Nathan Gulliksen, and George Richardson
7. Dave Hood / DH3 Racing (USA)
World Ranking: 30
crew: Ted Hackney, Chris Main, Ricky McGarvie, Steve Natvig, and Chris Steele
8. Björn Hansen / Hansen Sailing Team (SWE)
World Ranking: 68
crew: Johan Bäckman, Mikael Berg, Nils Bjerkås, Hugo Christensson, and Martin Berntsson
9. Nicole Breault / Vela Racing (USA)
World Ranking: 23
crew: Allie Blecher, Tony Festa, Dylan Finestone, Sidney Gathrid, Cameron Feves, and Cade Morris
10. Peter Wickwire / Storm Match Racing (CAN)
World Ranking: 9
crew: Dan MacMillan, Steve Flam, Travis Odenbach, Savannah Taylor, James Heyhoe
For more information on the Long Beach Congressional Cup, visit www.thecongressionalcup.com
For more information on the World Match Racing Tour, visit www.wmrt.com and via social media at Facebook and Instagram @wordmatchracingtour, and via YouTube