2026 Congressional Cup

Australia’s Cole Tapper and his Kairos Racing Team from Sydney delivered a sensational performance to win the 61st Congressional Cup, held April 29-May 3 in Long Beach, CA. As the second World Championship event on the 2026 World Match Racing Tour, Tapper improved on his third place last year to claim the legendary Crimson Blazer.

Sailing with crewmates Max Brennan, Jack Frewin, Nathan Guliksen, George Richardson, and Hamish Vass, Tapper became the first Australian skipper to win the prestigious event since Peter Gilmour in 2004. Defending champion Eric Monnin (SUI) finished runner-up, while Chris Poole (USA) claimed third place.

Tapper was the final qualifier after the double round robin stage advanced the top four from the 10-team field, and the final day of racing delivered high drama, surprise twists, and an unforgettable comeback.

Entering the day, former champions Johnie Berntsson (SWE) and Chris Poole both held commanding 2-0 leads in their semifinal matches and appeared destined to advance to the final.

But Tapper and Monnin had other ideas. Facing elimination and needing three consecutive wins to survive, both teams mounted extraordinary turnarounds. Tapper reeled off three straight victories over Poole, while Monnin matched the feat against Berntsson, setting the stage for the championship showdown.

In his first-ever Congressional Cup final, Tapper remained calm under pressure against defending champion Monnin. In race one, Tapper forced an early penalty during a tense pre-start dial-up, then capitalized on a second Monnin penalty downwind to seize the opening point.

Tapper followed with another composed performance in race two to move ahead 2-0, leaving Monnin once again needing three straight wins to keep his title hopes alive.

“Well, it’s a challenge to win three races, but we’ve been here before, so that’s what we now need to do again,” said Monnin.

Race three brought one final dramatic battle. Monnin led at the first windward mark, but Tapper struck decisively at the leeward gate with a perfectly timed luff that forced another penalty. A difficult spinnaker takedown from Monnin’s crew opened the door, and Tapper surged ahead, never looking back as he crossed the finish line to claim the 2026 Congressional Cup crown.

“This means so much to me and to the team,” said Tapper. “We’re so glad to have rallied and come back, and the only reason we were able to do that is because of these guys on my crew. Also from us, a very special thank you has to go to Jordan Reece, our coach, as he’s done a huge amount of work helping us get where we are today.”

After winning the last two consecutive Governor’s Cup International Youth Match Racing Championship for competitors that had not reached their 23rd birthday, Tapper had aged out for the three-peat. This was Tapper’s third attempt at the Crimson Blazer.

Congressional Cup details – Results – Facebook

Tour details – 2026 schedule – Facebook

Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The winner of the WMRT each year is crowned the Match Racing World Champion. For tour format, click here.

Source: WMRT