Match Racing's Congressional Cup Swells to Host 12 of the World’s Top Skippers in 59th Regatta

28th January 2024

California's Congressional Cup is the season-opening Championship event of the 2024 World Match Racing Tour Credit: Ian Roman/WMRT

California’s Long Beach Yacht Club has announced the addition of two invitations for this year’s 59th edition of the Congressional Cup Regatta, April 24 to 28, 2024.

As the season-opening Championship event of the 2024 World Match Racing Tour, the Congressional Cup line-up will now feature twelve teams, including three qualifiers from the Ficker Cup Regatta, also hosted by LBYC, 18 to 21 April 2024.

The roster for this year’s Congressional Cup follows an unprecedented demand by eligible match racing teams from around the globe. The oldest continuously-held sailing match race regatta in the world, the Congressional Cup is the only match race regatta in the United States to qualify for World Championship status from World Sailing. As such, an invitation to compete in the Congressional Cup is one of the most sought-after in match racing, and a victory, the most revered. Many of the 29 skippers who have won – several, multiple times – and worn the esteemed Crimson Blazer have gone on to America’s Cup and SailGP. Now celebrating its 95th anniversary, LBYC and its members are proud to host and welcome the world to the Congressional Cup once again.

The 2024 roster includes defending champion Chris Poole (USA), 2009 Congressional Cup winner Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Eric Monnin (SUI), Jeppe Borch (DEN), Mati Sepp (EST), Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL) and Dave Hood (USA). Returning after a 12-year interval is four-time Congressional Cup winner Gavin Brady (USA); LBYC also announced five-time Congressional Cup winner Ian Williams (GBR) will join the line-up. Williams, sailing for China.one Ningbo Team, was recently crowned the Match Racing World Champion for the seventh time. Three remaining spots will be awarded to the top trio of finishers hot off the Ficker Cup. With such incredible talent, the Congressional Cup promises to be a thrill!

2024 Confirmed Skippers for Congressional Cup Regatta

Chris Poole, USA, Riptide Racing (WS Ranking #1)
Eric Monnin, SUI, Capvis Swiss Match Racing Team (WS Ranking #2)
Johnie Berntsson, SWE, Berntsson Sailing Team (WS Ranking #3)
Jeppe Borch, DEN, Borch Racing (WS Ranking #4)
Mati Sepp, EST, Clean Energy Match Race Team (WS Ranking #6)
Nick Egnot-Johnson, NZL, Knots Racing (WS Ranking #7)
Ian Williams, GBR, China.one Ningbo (WS Ranking #11)
Gavin Brady, USA, True Blue Racing (WS Ranking #14)
Dave Hood, USA, DH3 Racing (WS Ranking #33)
Qualifier from Ficker Cup 2024
Qualifier from Ficker Cup 2024
Qualifier from Ficker Cup 2024

World Sailing Ranking as of 1 January 2024

Published in Match Racing

Tagged under

Match Racing

About The Author

Afloat.ie Team

Email The Author

Afloat.ie is Ireland's dedicated marine journalism team.

Have you got a story for our reporters? Email us here.

We've got a favour to ask

More people are reading Afloat.ie than ever thanks to the power of the internet but we're in stormy seas because advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news sites, we haven’t put up a paywall because we want to keep our marine journalism open.

Afloat.ie is Ireland's only full–time marine journalism team and it takes time, money and hard work to produce our content.

So you can see why we need to ask for your help.

If everyone chipped in, we can enhance our coverage and our future would be more secure. You can help us through a small donation. Thank you.