Swedish skipper Johnie Berntsson today won the King Edward VII Gold Cup, the championship trophy of the Bermuda Gold Cup match racing tournament, for the third time since 2008.

Hosted by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, the Bermuda Gold Cup is a World Championship event of the World Match Racing Tour.

The Berntsson Racing Team—including Herman Andersson on tactics, Björn Lundgren on mainsail trim and Patrik Sturesson on headsail trim—finished the regatta with a perfect score of 11-0 and won $25,000 of the $75,000 prize purse.

“I can recall being over the moon the first time I won this trophy. I never thought it would happen. Now it’s happened a third time, and I’m super grateful,” said the 51-year-old Berntsson from Stenungsund, Sweden, a medical IT consultant. “Sailing with Patrik, Herman and Björn, they pushed me all around the course. The tactics were excellent, the trimming was excellent, and it all helped me grow as a helmsman and build our confidence.”

For Berntsson it is the third time that he has won the coveted gold trophy that was first awarded in 1907, having previously captured it in 2008 and ’14. He also finished runner-up four times (2011, ’12, ’18, ’19) and has the second-most finals appearances behind the event’s all-time winner Russell Coutts of New Zealand, who won the trophy seven times between 1990 and 2004 and finished runner-up twice.

“I’m so proud to be part of the history of the King Edward VII Gold Cup,” said Berntsson. “There have been so many great sailors racing and winning here. I’m really proud to be part of that nice, successful group of sailors. It’s very good feelings.”

The King Edward VII Gold Cup dates to 1907 and is the oldest match racing trophy in the world for a competition involving one-design yachts. It is one of the most coveted championships in match racing. The regatta has been run in its current format, as a ladder-style tournament on the confines of Hamilton Harbour, since 1985.

The Berntsson Racing Team won the title as much for their work in the Qualifying Round as for the Knockout Rounds. After two days of racing on Tuesday (Oct. 3) and Wednesday (Oct. 4), which saw the completion of the Qualifying and Quarterfinal rounds, the regatta was postponed Thursday (Oct. 5) and Friday (Oct. 6) due to the passage of Tropical Storm Philippe. Saturday's strong winds of 25 to 35 knots in Hamilton Harbour (below) forced the cancellation of the Semifinal and Final rounds.

Sweden’s WINGS match racing team led by Anna Östling has been x after winning the final stage of the tour at the KDY Women’s Match Race in Skovshoved Harbour.

New Zealand’s Celia Willison/ EDGE Women’s Match finished the world tour season in second place, with New Zealand's Meghan Thomson/ 2.0 Racing in third overall.

Östling and crew of Anna Holmdal, Linnea Wennergren, Annika Carlunger, Jenny Axhede and Marie Grusmark arrived in Denmark this week just one point behind Celia Willison’s EDGE Women’s Match team on the tour leaderboard. Östling had to finish higher than 4th at the event to overtake Willison on points and secure the world tour title.

Using their years of experience sailing the DS37 boats at home in Sweden, WINGS managed to sail a strong regatta with a flawless 3-0 semi-final win over Denmark’s Camilla Ulrikkeholm before going on to defeat Denmark’s Lea Richter Vogelius 3-0 in the final.

2nd place overall - 2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour - EDGE Women's Match Team (from left to right, Fiona Mulcahy, Louise Acker, Alison Kent, Charlotte Porter, Ruby Scholten, Celia Willison) Photo: sailing pics

3rd place overall - 2023 Women's World Match Racing Tour - Megan Thomson (NZL) 2.0 Racing (second from right) pictured from the Normandie Match Cup, Le Havre Photo: Patrick Deroualle

The Governor’s Cup match racing regatta in California, USA, came to an exciting conclusion on its last day with intense competition between skilled sailors. The day began with the continuation of the semi-final races from the previous day and sail-offs for the remaining rankings. All the sail-offs went the full set, making for an exhilarating start to the day.

It was the first year the competition featured an Irish entry since 2010. As regular Afloat readers know, UCD and Royal St. George's Tom Higgins added his name to the list of invitees in 2023 following Ryan Scott's (Howth Yacht Club) involvement over a decade ago.

In the semi-finals, Cole Tapper from Australia won both races against Morgan Pinckney from the USA, while Jeffrey Petersen from the USA did the same against Justin Callahan, also from the USA. Callahan and his crew showed their enthusiasm and competitive spirit by buzzing the media boat following his defeat, and he was excited to continue his rivalry with Morgan Pinckney in the battle for third place. It is worth noting that this was Justin Callahan’s first Governor’s Cup, and he was the only competitor to beat Jeffrey Petersen in this year’s edition.

Balboa Yacht Club Vice Commodore Randy Taylor with Jeffrey Petersen (USA) and his crew, Max Brennan (USA) and Enzo Menditto (USA), with Rear Commodore Brett Hemphill Photo: Tom Walker

In the fight for the championship, Jeffrey Petersen outperformed Cole Tapper in the best-of-three series, winning the first two races. However, the final race proved challenging for both competitors as the breeze dropped to a mere four knots. Tapper started slightly ahead in the first upwind leg, but Petersen was able to create a commanding lead as the leg progressed.

Unfortunately, Petersen hit the weather mark at the end of the first beat, making an unforced error and gaining a penalty. As the downwind leg saw the breeze begin to fill, Petersen was able to clear his penalty on the next upwind. Tapper closed the distance and forced Petersen to sail past the weather mark, ultimately leading him to sail downwind on the port side of the weather mark and not sail the full course. This mistake allowed Petersen to sail the downwind leg without pressure from the Australian team and secure his victory as the champion of the Governor’s Cup sailboat race.

The “Gov Cup '' is the oldest and most prestigious youth match racing event in the world, with alumni of the event believing it to be 'career-changing', going on to win events such as the Congressional Cup, the World Match Racing Tour and even the America's Cup.

The results are as follows:

1st - Jeffrey Petersen (USA)
2nd - Cole Tapper (AUS)
3rd - Morgan Pinckney (USA)
4th - Justin Callahan (USA)
5th - Alexander Colquitt(GBR)
6th - Nicolas Yudji Bernal (BRA)
7th - Marcello Torre (AUS)
8th - Max Paul (AUS)
9th - Josh Hyde(NZL)
10th - Alec Coleman (CAN)
11th - Timothee Rossi (FRA)
12th - Tom Higgins (IRL)

Dun Laoghaire Harbour's National Yacht Club will be hosting a Match Racing Invitational supported by Viking Marine in its fleet of Elliott 6m one-design keelboats on the 27th and 28th of May

Building on the success of the inaugural Student Match Racing Nationals this year and the recent match racing series, NYC is delighted to promote the development of match racing in Ireland and is aiming to host a National Championships later this year.

Full details are outlined in the NOR attached below.

Skippers can submit a Request for Invitation, which must be completed no later than 23:59 Monday 22 May at this link

Dun Laoghaire helmsman Tom Higgins has become the first Irish sailor to receive an invitation to skipper an entry in the prestigious youth Governors' Cup Match Racing Championship event in California.

Royal St George's Higgins is an Ad Astra sports scholar at UCD studying Business and Law.

Governors' Cup organisers made contact with UCD following their win at the Student Match Racing event in April. The invitation is a significant achievement not only for him but also for match racing in Ireland.

As regular Afloat readers know, The Governor’s Cup takes place at Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach, California and features six days of intense racing in July. Twelve teams from around the world compete in the specially designed Governors Cup 22 boats.

Racing at the Governors' Cup Match Racing Championship event in California Photo: The Governors' Cup

The “Gov Cup '' is the oldest and most prestigious youth match racing event in the world, with alumni of the event believing it to be 'career-changing', going on to win events such as the Congressional Cup, the World Match Racing Tour and even the America's Cup.

Chris Poole (USA) and Riptide Racing have swept the Long Beach Yacht Club Congressional Match Racing Cup, sailing undefeated in five days of thrilling competition. Jeppe Borch (DEN) finished second, Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL) third.

The Congressional Cup - a Grade One match race and World Match Racing Tour event, hosted annually by Long Beach Yacht Club since 1965 - wrapped up today in the waters off the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier. Five days of picture-postcard weather; over one hundred rousing, exacting matches; 10 of the world's top-ranked match racing skippers; one victor. The final score: 24-0.

For decades the most talented sailors from around the globe have convened to compete in this prestigious one-design match race regatta. And no one can recall a time in history when any skipper has won every single match until now.

Sailing with Poole, under the Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club burgee, were Matt Cornwell, Luke Payne, Malcolm Parker, Bernardo Freitas, and tactician Joachim Aschenbrenner.

Overall placings
1. USA - Chris Poole, Matt Cornwell, Luke Payne, Malcolm Parker, Bernardo Freitas, Joachim Aschenbrenner
2. DEN - Jeppe Borch, Sebastian Pieters, Gustav Wantzin, August La Cour, Matias Rossing, Thor Malthe Andersen
3. NZL - Nick Egnot-Johnson, Alex Higby, Bradley Mclaughlin, Sam Barnett, Alastair Gifford, Zak Merton
4. GBR - Ian Williams, Paul Willcox, Jon Gundersen, Richard Sydenham, Matthew Cassidy, Craig Monk
5. SUI - Eric Monnin, Ute Monnin-Wagner, Simon Brugger, Julien Falxa, Lukas Gerig, Nick Zeltner, Mathieu Renault
6. AUS - Harry Price, Niall Morrow, Harry Hall, Connor Mashlan, Joshua Wijohn, Taylor Balogh
7. NZL - Megan Thomson, Daniel Pegg, Steve Flam, Max Mayol, Collin Mulry, Max Brennan
8. SWE - Johnie Berntsson, Robert Skarp, Anders Dahlsjo, Herman Andersson, Patrik Sturesson, Martin Berntsson
9. USA - Christopher Weis, Richard Van der Weyde, Alex Burrow, Sidney Gathrid, Dylan Finestone, Roberto Stevens, Haydon Stapleton
10. USA - Dave Hood, Chris Main, Garth Ellingham, Steve Natvig, Samuel Gilmour, Harrison West

The World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) has announced its 2023 world championship season with a fifteen-event schedule across ten countries, including the return of founding Tour events - the Congressional Cup/USA, Match Cup Sweden and Bermuda Gold Cup. The WMRT Final will take place in Shenzhen, China from 12-17 December with a USD200,000 prize purse. 2023 will mark the 23rd consecutive season of the Tour, the longest-running professional series in sailing.

The 2023 WMRT season will comprise of ‘World Tour’ events and ‘World Championship’ events, opening with the Ficker Cup and the 58th edition of the Congressional Cup Regatta in April hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club in California, USA. The Congressional Cup is the world's oldest continuously held sailing match race regatta.

All events are organised under World Sailing rules as Open match racing events, allowing both men and women skippers, as well as mixed teams to compete. ‘World Championship’ level events award higher points to the annual WMRT leader-board.

The World Match Racing Tour trophy

Marstrand, Sweden

The top 11 skippers on the WMRT leader-board counting their top 4 results after the penultimate event in October will qualify to the WMRT Final in Shenzhen, China from 12-17 December. A wild card will make up the minimum 12 teams to be invited to the WMRT Final, the winner of which will be crowned the 2023 Match Racing World Champion. The WMRT Final in Shenzhen was unable to go ahead in 2021 and 2022 due to border restrictions during the global pandemic.

Re-joining the 2023 Tour season are two of the original founding events of WMRT;

The GKSS Match Cup Sweden returns from 4-8 July. Hosted by the Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club since 1994, the event is one of the best-known match racing events in the world attracting thousands of spectators to the picturesque island of Marstrand, 30 kilometres to the west of Gothenburg. Past champions include Olympic and America’s Cup names such as Peter Gilmour (AUS), Bertrand Pacé (FRA), Dean Barker (NZL), Russell Coutts (NZL), Chris Law (GBR), Björn Hansen (SWE), Mattias Rahm (SWE), Ben Ainslie (GBR), Ian Williams (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Phil Robertson (NZL).

Also returning to the Tour this year is the 71st edition of the famous Bermuda Gold Cup, hosted by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. The King Edward VII Gold Cup is one of the most coveted match racing trophies in the sport, won by many of sailing’s great names including Chris Dickson (NZL), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Russell Coutts (NZL), Eddie Warden-Owen (GBR), James Spithill (AUS), Ben Ainslie (GBR), Ian Williams (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Francesco Bruni (ITA).

Defending 2022 WMRT Champions Nick Egnot-Johnson/Knots Racing (NZL)

“We are delighted to finally announce the 2023 WMRT season” commented WMRT Executive Director James Pleasance. “We are also thrilled for the return of the Tour’s founding events The Congressional Cup, Match Cup Sweden and Bermuda Gold Cup, and we are looking forward to seeing both familiar teams and many new faces on the Tour this year. We are also looking forward to hosting the WMRT Final in Shenzhen, China at the end of the year now the country has re-opened.”

2023 World Match Racing Tour Schedule (Dates include Practice Days)

1. Ficker Cup, Long Beach, CA, USA, 13–16 April
2. *Congressional Cup, Long Beach, CA, 17–22 April
3. Szczecin Match Race, Poland, 27-30 April
4. Porto Montenegro Match Race, 11-14 May
5. NJK Open Spring Cup, Finland, 18-21 May
6. OM International Ledro Match Race, Italy, 22-25 June
7. *GKSS Match Cup Sweden, 4–8 July
8. Internationaux France Match Race, Pornichet, France, 27-30 July
9. Chicago Grand Slam, USA, 17-20 August
10. International Match Race for the Detroit Cup, USA, 23-27 August
11. Thompson Cup, Oyster Bay NY, USA, 29 August - 2 September
12. Oakcliff International, Oyster Bay NY, USA, 5-9 September
13. Baltic Match Race, Estonia, 20-24 September
14. *Bermuda Gold Cup, 2-7 October
15. *WMRT FINAL/ Shenzhen Bao’an Match Cup, China, 12-17 December

The sell-out RYA Marlow Ropes Women's Match Racing Championship finale saw two Scottish skippers battling for the title, with Alison Morrish's team taking the crown and Irish Flying Fifteen champion Juliette Kennedy of Strangford Lough finishing fourth. 

The latest edition of the championship was due to have taken place at Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy in September 2022 but was postponed following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, who was the Patron of the RYA.

Rescheduled for 11-12 February 2023, eight teams competed for the title in British Keelboat Sailing's fleet of Elliott 6Ms. Saturday had light winds and although this delayed the start until around 10 am, it was still possible to fit in 26 races.

Overall placings

1. Ali Morrish, GBR
2. Rebecca Coles, GBR
3. Sophie Otter, GBR
4. Juliette Kennedy, GBR
5. Octavia Owen, GBR
6. Fiona Tylecote, GBR
7. Emily Page, GBR
8. Ellen Morley, GBR

Results here

The world’s top match racing skippers will return to Long Beach, Calif. April 18 to 22, 2023 for the 58th Congressional Cup regatta at Long Beach Yacht Club, and a founding event on the World Match Racing Tour.

Reigning 2022 Congressional Cup Champion Ian Williams (GBR) will return to defend his title and clinch the crown as the most-capped skipper in Congressional Cup history. But it won’t be without challenge! Rivals include the world’s number-one ranked match racing skipper Eric Monnin (SUI): back after a 2022 ‘babymoon’ hiatus. A perennial Congressional Cup favourite, in 2021, Monnin captured his first podium finish, and is poised to continue his ascent.

Also climbing the Congressional Cup ladder is Chris Poole (USA). Poole finished second in the 2022 WMRT championship after a third-place finish in the Spring 2022 Congressional Cup – edging out past champion (2009) Johnie Berntsson (SWE), who is still eager to add another Crimson Blazer to his wardrobe.

The list goes on! The roster includes Nick Egnot-Johnson (NZL) who was recently crowned 2022 World Sailing Match Racing World Champion and is ranked number three in the world; plus Harry Price (AUS), Jeppe Borch (DEN) and hometown favourite David Hood (USA) – all veterans of Congressional Cup racing.

Rounding out the Congressional Cup lineup will be the top two finishers in the April 13 to 15 Ficker Cup regatta. A Grade Two WMRT event in its own right, the Ficker Cup also serves as a qualifier for the Congressional Cup. The 2023 field is fiery, and competition promises to be thrilling when racing begins April 18.

Congressional Cup is recognized as the ‘grandfather’ of modern world-class match racing. Founded by Long Beach Yacht Club in 1965, the event set the standard for top-level match racing worldwide, pioneering the concept of on-the-water umpiring in a spectator-friendly venue.

Eric Monnin (SUI) and Johnie Berntsson (SWE) compete in the Congressional Cup 2022  Photo: Sharon Green

After a practice day April 17, 2023, racing will commence April 18 off Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier at roughly 11:30 am each day. Five days of racing will see the sailors compete in a double-round robin format that gives competitors twice the chance to familiarize with the boats and conditions, and sharpen their skills. Famed for turning the leaderboard upside down, the 10-boat double-round robin format promises spirited contests as teams pair off and battle round the course: a delight to racers and spectators alike.

Matches are held directly off the pier where spectators can enjoy live commentary and camaraderie from roughly 11:30 am to 5:00 pm. After three days of round-robins the leaders will advance into semi-finals and petit finals, culminating with the final matches Saturday, April 22, where the winner of the Congressional Cup will receive the coveted Crimson Blazer. The Crimson Blazer is yacht racing’s equivalent to the Masters' Tournament Green Jacket: a symbol of victory in one of the most prestigious yacht racing events in the world, and a gateway to the America’s Cup.

The Women’s World Match Racing Tour has announced four events for its 2023 season, including San Francisco, Annapolis, Le Havre, and Copenhagen.

The Tour is the world’s only professional sailing series for women designed to promote and grow female participation in professional sailing.

Following the successful first season for the women’s tour launched last year, the 2023 season will kick off in April at the inaugural Casa Vela Cup at the St. Francis Yacht Club in San Francisco from 24 - 28 April. Teams will compete in matched J/22 boats over 4 days racing directly in front of the Club with its impressive backdrop of San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island.

“In line with our commitment to developing women skippers and crew, the St. Francis Yacht Club is delighted to have been selected to host the opening stage of the 2023 Women’s World Match Racing Tour, and it is our intention for this to be an annual event,” commented Regatta Chair Bruce Stone.

Straight after San Francisco, teams will head to the US East Coast for Stage 2 of the Tour and the return of the popular Santa Maria Cup at Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis, MD from 30 April – 4 May. The Santa Maria Cup has been a premier match racing event for women for over 20 years. After a ten-year hiatus, it now makes its long-awaited comeback as part of the WWMRT. The event will be sailed in J/22s on the Severn River in Annapolis.

“Eastport Yacht Club is thrilled to be part of the Women’s World Match Racing Tour for 2023” commented Event Director Jeff Borland. “We are looking forward to hosting the top women’s match racing teams in Annapolis again for the Santa Maria Cup.”

Eastport Yacht Club, Annapolis, MD

The Tour will then head to Europe for the Normandy Match Cup in Le Havre, France from 26-29 May, sailed in First 7.5 keelboats. Last year’s Normandy event was won by defending champion Pauline Courtois and her Match in Pink Normandy Elite Team who went on to win the overall 2022 Women’s World Match Racing Tour title at the Championship in Auckland, New Zealand.

Megan Thomson (NZL) at the 2022 Normandy Match Cup, Le Havre, France

Stage 4 of the 2023 Tour will see the teams return to Skovshoved Harbour in Copenhagen, Denmark from 21-24 Sept for the second edition of the KDY Women’s Match Race Denmark hosted by the Royal Danish Yacht Club. Won last year by former World Champion Anna Östling and her Wings Match Racing Team from Sweden, the Danish Tour stage will test the physical limits of teams in the bigger and heavier DS37 yachts with up to six crew.

Anna Östling (SWE) and the Wings Sailing Team at the 2022 KDY Women's Match Race=

“We are very excited to announce the 2023 Women’s World Match Racing Tour season today so teams can start planning their campaigns,” commented WWMRT Executive Director James Pleasance. “After the success of last year’s Tour, we are speaking to a number of host venues, and we also hope to add a fifth tour stage this year for 2023 which would be a great addition.”