Long Beach, Calif. — April 25, 2026 – After seven flights of intense opening-day competition at the Long Beach Yacht Club’s Ficker Cup, LBYC’s own Scotty Dickson has taken early control of the leaderboard, posting an impressive 6–1 record in unofficial results.
A fourteen-time Ficker Cup champion, Dickson demonstrated his trademark consistency and match racing precision, capitalizing on strong starts and disciplined race management to establish a clear advantage over the international field.
Behind him, the competition remains tightly contested. Oscar Engström (SWE), Theo Westerlind (SWE), and Christopher Weis (USA) are locked in a three-way tie for second place at 4–3, keeping the pressure firmly on as the regatta heads into its next stage.
Rounding out the field of eight skippers from around the world, Nicole Breault (USA) and Tom Picot (AUS) are tied at 3–4, while Ruairi Finnegan (IRL) and Patryk Zbroja (POL), both at 2–5, remain within striking distance in a format where momentum can shift quickly.
The first day of racing delivered intense, tactical competition on the Congressional Cup Stadium Course off the Belmont Shore Veterans Memorial Pier. A moderate but steady afternoon breeze provided ideal conditions to test the crews’ abilities on Long Beach Yacht Club’s fleet of identical Catalina 37s. Each skipper delivered standout moments throughout the day, trading wins in a competitive mid-fleet battle that remains wide open.
Racing continues Saturday with a second round robin that will be critical in shaping the semifinal lineup. Only the top four skippers will advance to Sunday’s knockout stage, where the stakes extend beyond the Ficker Cup title.
The top two finishers will earn coveted invitations to compete in the Congressional Cup, the World Match Racing Tour Championship event that follows immediately next week.
The Ficker Cup is a Grade 2 event on the World Match Racing Tour, sailed on Long Beach Yacht Club’s iconic fleet of identical Catalina 37s. Racing runs April 24–26, 2026. The regatta is named in honor of Bill Ficker, who helmed Intrepid to victory in the 1970 America’s Cup and went on to win the 1974 Congressional Cup. The phrase “Ficker is Quicker” remains one of the most iconic expressions in match racing history and continues to reflect the precision and competitive spirit of the event today.
The Ficker Cup serves as the final qualifier for the Congressional Cup, widely recognized as the “granddaddy” of modern world-class match racing—the premier and longest-running event of its kind in North America.
For more information on the Ficker Cup visit www.thecongressionalcup.com and www.wmrt.com.
2026 Ficker Cup Skippers:
1. Oscar Engstrőm, Team LIROS, Sweden (World ranking #8)
Crew: Filip Karlsson, Emil Wolfgang, Zak Merton, Rasmus Alnebeck, Severin Gramm
2. Nicole Breault, Vela Racing, United States (World ranking #19)
Crew: Allie Blecher, Sidney Gathrid, Cameron Feves, James Moody, Cade Morris, Robbie Upton
3. Tom Picot, Match 2.0, Australia (World ranking #23)
Crew: Aristide Delin, Armand Clabon, Lucas Chatonier, Marissa Mee, Macgregor Jones, Valentin Belles
4. Ruairi Finnegan, Craic’n Racing, Ireland (World ranking #28)
Crew: Graham Curren, Tom Higgins, Geoff Power, Andrew Kingston, Noah McCarthy Fisher
5. Patryk Zbroja, YKP Team, Poland (World ranking #30)
Crew: Marcin Zubrzycki, Maciej Gonerko, Łukasz Czaja, Marcin Banaszek, Krzysztof Zeludziewicz
6. Theo Westerlind, The Cougars, Sweden (World ranking #88)
Crew: Sam Rosenbaum, Johnie Berntsson, John McCarthy, Garrett Grenauer, Eddie Kliem, Henry Day
7. Christopher Weis, Dark Horse Match Racing, United States (World ranking #109)
Crew: Dylan Finestone, Adam Corpuz-Lahne, Matt Whitfield, Ryan Treais, Sammy Shea
8. Scotty Dickson, Dickson Racing, United States (World ranking #214)
Crew: Tony Stuart, Danny Bailey, Garrett Brown, Steve Flam, Jackson McCoy
World Sailing ranking as of 1 April 2026
CONTACT
LBYC Race Office
Cameron MacLaren: raceoffice@lbyc.org
Instagram: @lbycconcup
Facebook: @congressionalcup
World Match Racing Tour:
Contact: media@wmrt.com
Instagram: @worldmatchracingtour
Linked In: World Match Racing Tour
Facebook: @worldmatchracingtour
SPONSORS 2026
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 Ficker Cup and 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 Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT 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 Sailing Match Racing World Champion. Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD24million in prize money to sailors which helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors. www.wmrt.com[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]