60th Anniversary Congressional Day 3 - Crucial races to decide Semi-Finalists
by World Match Racing Tour 3 May 05:34 BST
April 30 – May 4, 2025
Sweden's Björn Hansen, Hansen Sailing Team (left) with Sweden's Johnie Berntsson, Berntsson Sailing Team (right) on day 3 of the 60th Congressional Cup © Ian Roman / WMRT
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 Dave 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.
Saturday'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 updates and race coverage from the World Match Racing Tour, visit wmrt.com.
Follow the action on World Match Racing Tour and Congressional Cup social media channels, with live coverage continuing through the finals on Sunday, May 4.