April 2023 dates set for 58th Long Beach Yacht Club Congressional Cup

Congressional Cup racing © Bronny Daniels

Dates have been announced for the 58th Congressional Cup regatta and Ficker Cup qualifier hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club: with Congressional Cup slated April 18 to 22, 2023 preceded by the Ficker Cup April 13 to 15, 2023.

In making the announcement 2023 Chair Bob Piercy said, “I am both honored and a bit intimidated to be chairing this esteemed, world-class event. The Congressional Cup is known as an elite competition and LBYC, the past chairpersons and volunteers have raised the bar even higher. However, after working on the Executive Board for the past four years, I am ready and eager to take on the challenge of the 58th Congressional Cup regatta!”

The Congressional Cup has been regarded as the ‘grandfather of match racing’ since 1965. The event established LBYC as an innovator in the game of match racing; pioneering on-the-water umpiring and setting a world-wide standard that endures today.

As a paragon on the global match racing circuit and Championship level stop on the World Match Racing Tour, the Congressional Cup is guaranteed the hottest sailing talent and action on the waters off Long Beach each year.

The format for Congressional Cup 2023 will continue as a 10-team, double round robin series, followed by semi- and petit finals, with a final stage to determine the victor of the trophy and prestigious Crimson Blazer.

In Congressional Cup 2022 Ian Williams (GBR) evened the score on decades-long rival Taylor Canfield (USA) when he triumphed in the finals after a lively five-day series in breezy conditions. Williams now matches Canfield with five Congressional Cup titles each – and fans hope both will return for another raucous bout of competition.

The 2023 line-up will be announced later this year, with the final two entrants advancing from the Ficker Cup mid-April 2023. “Tony Mansour will do an outstanding job chairing next year's Ficker Cup,” Piercy noted, adding, “We will continue the process we instituted last year of combining the Congressional Cup and Ficker Cup selection committees, to choose the best contenders possible for both events and guarantee the highest level of competition.” Congressional Cup is challenged in a fleet of identical 37-foot Catalina sloops designed specifically for LBYC’s match racing series, which assures an even platform and exciting competition. Racing is held directly off the city’s Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, where spectators can view the thrilling matches for free, beginning around 1130AM each day.

“The City of Long Beach is a waterfront playground in the heart of Southern California,” Piercy declared, and has been designated the ‘Aquatic Capital of America.’ With over seven miles of beaches, great ocean breezes and two large marinas, residents and visitors alike enjoy water-based activities that include sailing, diving, kayaking, kite surfing, outrigger canoeing, paddle boarding, rowing, scuba diving, swimming, water polo, water skiing and much more.

“Due to the consistency and strength of the prevailing winds Long Beach was chosen as the site for sailing events in the 1984 Olympic Games, and will again host the sailing events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics,” Piercy continued. He expects the 2023 Congressional Cup time slot to deliver those same stellar conditions. “April has always been a great month to sail in Long Beach, with steady breezes and warming weather, ahead of the busy summer regatta schedule. Our April date took a lot of time and research to establish, but we are now set and already gearing up for a fantastic event!”

For complete information on Congressional Cup 2023 as it unfolds, visit www.thecongressionalcup.com; and go to wmrt.com for details on the WMRT.