At the 61st Congressional Cup, day three of racing off Belmont Pier in Long Beach brought the high-stakes battle for a semi-final berth to a head. Three former champions had already locked in their positions, but the fight for the fourth and final spot produced some of the most compelling racing of the regatta. Australia's Cole Tapper and Denmark's Jeppe Borch were the two sailors scrapping for that last place in the last four. Officials got through four more flights across the session, leaving the round robin stage poised for a tense conclusion the following day.
The most consequential moment came when Tapper and Borch squared off directly, both fully aware of what hung in the balance. Borch gained the upper hand in the pre-start, crossing the line with barely inches to spare and forcing Tapper immediately onto the defensive. A fierce tacking duel developed upwind, with Tapper's crew grinding away in pursuit of the Danish boat.
As the pair approached the leeward gate, Borch threw in an aggressive luff to try to consolidate his position, but Tapper's crew responded with clinical precision, rolling past the Danish boat to take the lead. Tapper then extended steadily, arriving at the second windward mark three boat lengths clear before sailing home to seal what many regarded as the race of the regatta.
"We knew it was an important race going into the match and we were definitely aware of the potential tie break for the semis," Tapper said. "We got off to a really bad start and trailed Jeppe into a heavy tacking duel but my crew worked hard and eventually we were able to pass him, it meant a lot to the team."
That victory locked Tapper into fourth place overall and left him in control of his own destiny. For Borch, the arithmetic is brutal: he must win both of his remaining matches on the final day while also hoping Tapper fails to take at least one of his last two races.
Chris Poole kept carving through the fleet, posting a perfect 4 and 0 record on the day with victories over Christian Prendergast, Jeppe Borch, Ian Garreta, and Cole Tapper. His overall tally now stands at 15 wins from 16 starts, a 94 percent winning rate heading into the final round robin flights. Eric Monnin was equally relentless, defeating Aurélien Pierroz, Oscar Engström, Johnie Berntsson, and Prendergast to move to 13 wins and 3 losses, closing to within two wins of the leader overall.
Monnin's win over Berntsson carried particular weight. The Swedish veteran had been level with the Swiss skipper through the first two rounds of racing, but that defeat, followed by a further loss to Scotty Dickson later in the session, opened a two-win gap between them. Ian Garreta had the hardest day on the water, failing to win any of his four matches to join Pierroz at the foot of the standings.
Scotty Dickson of the United States and Sweden's Oscar Engström had earned their Congressional Cup invitations by finishing first and second respectively at the previous weekend's Ficker Cup, but neither was able to threaten the semi-final positions. Both ended the day tied on 5 wins and 11 losses.
Tapper's 2 and 2 return was enough to hold fourth place and keep Borch's challenge at bay. Borch also finished the session at 2 and 2, and now sits two wins adrift of Tapper with only two matches remaining.
Day 3 Results Table
| Sailor | W | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Poole USA | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| Eric Monnin SUI | 4 | 0 | 100% |
| Johnie Berntsson SWE | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| Cole Tapper AUS | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| Jeppe Borch DEN | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| Scotty Dickson USA | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| Aurélien Pierroz FRA | 2 | 2 | 50% |
| Christian Prendergast USA | 1 | 3 | 25% |
| Oscar Engström SWE | 1 | 3 | 25% |
| Ian Garreta FRA | 0 | 4 | 0% |
Overall standings after Day 3
| # | Sailor | W | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chris Poole USA | 15 | 1 | 94% |
| 2 | Eric Monnin SUI | 13 | 3 | 81% |
| 3 | Johnie Berntsson SWE | 11 | 5 | 69% |
| 4 | Cole Tapper AUS | 10 | 6 | 63% |
| 5 | Jeppe Borch DEN | 8 | 8 | 50% |
| 6 | Scotty Dickson USA | 5 | 11 | 31% |
| 6 | Christian Prendergast USA | 5 | 11 | 31% |
| 6 | Oscar Engström SWE | 5 | 11 | 31% |
| 9 | Aurélien Pierroz FRA | 4 | 12 | 25% |
| 9 | Ian Garreta FRA | 4 | 12 | 25% |
Once competitive racing wrapped up for the evening, attention turned to the Junior Congressional Cup, a popular fixture of regatta week in which junior sailors from the Long Beach Yacht Club team up with the visiting match racing professionals for a lively contest sailed in FJ dinghies directly in front of the clubhouse. The evening's honours went to LBYC junior Jack Brodsky, who sailed with defending 2025 Congressional Cup champion Eric Monnin of Switzerland to claim the cup.
Racing is scheduled to resume at 11:30 a.m. PDT at Belmont Pier, with the completion of the double round robin followed immediately by the semi-finals. Entry to the Congressional Cup Stadium at the end of Belmont Pier remains free for spectators.
