2021 Congressional Cup is postponed

Congressional Cup Chairman Chris Macy has announced the 2021 event will be postponed from May 11-16 to mid-September in light of the status of the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery. “We look forward to celebrating a return to the glory of Congressional Cup racing,” said Macy of the event in Long Beach, CA.

Using a fleet of identical 37-foot Catalina keelboats, the Congressional Cup was previously held in April 2019 after the 2020 edition was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

As a Grade One match racing competition, the 56th Congressional Cup marks a return as an official world championship event of the World Match Racing Tour, and a key regatta for the world’s top match racing skippers vying for the 2021 Match Racing World Championship.

The Congressional Cup has been hosted by Long Beach Yacht Club since 1965 and is known as the ‘grandfather of match racing’ and pioneer of on-the-water umpiring that is the standard in yacht racing today. Organizers plan to follow the traditional program with the world’s top-ranked skippers from around the globe competing for the esteemed Congressional Cup trophy.

The revised schedule will commence with the Ficker Cup qualifier September 10-12, to determine the final two entries to Congressional Cup. Then, on September 15, the thrill of premier-level match racing returns to the waters off Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier for five days, culminating with finals on September 19.

For further information: www.thecongressionalcup.com

WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR
Founded in 2000, the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT) promotes the sport of match racing around the world and is the longest running global professional series in the sport of sailing. The WMRT is awarded ‘Special Event’ status by the sport’s world governing body – World Sailing – and the winner of the WMRT each year is crowned World Sailing Match Racing World Champion.

Previous champions include Sir Ben Ainslie (GBR), Taylor Canfield (USA), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Magnus Holmberg (SWE), Peter Holmberg (ISV), Adam Minoprio (NZL), Torvar Mirsky (AUS), Bertrand Pace (FRA), Jesper Radich (DEN), Phil Robertson (NZL) and Ian Williams (GBR).

Since 2000, the World Match Racing Tour and its events have awarded over USD23million in prize money to sailors which has helped to contribute to the career pathway of many of today’s professional sailors. www.wmrt.com

Source: LBYC