The Congressional Cup field is set.
Skippers Maxime Mesnil of France and American Nicole Breault, and their respective crews will round out the 10-team field for this week’s 60th running of the Congressional Cup, after taking the top two spots in Ficker Cup on Sunday, April 27.
The three-day Ficker Cup, which began on Friday and takes place off the Long Beach coast, has preceded the Congressional Cup every year since 1980. It also acts as a qualifier for the final two spots in the Congressional Cup, with the other competitors joining the iconic match race by invitation-only.
Winning her Ficker Cup matches 3-2 on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, American skipper Nicole Breault and her crew steered their way into next week’s Congressional Cup, (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) A French team skippered by Maxime Mesnil lines up for the pre-start of a match race on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Teams compete in Ficker Cup match racing on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Teams compete in Ficker Cup match racing with Catalina Island in the background on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Teams compete in Ficker Cup match racing on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Teams compete in Ficker Cup match racing with Catalina Island in the background on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Spectators gather on the Belmont Pier to watch Ficker Cup match racing on Sunday, Apr. 27, 2025. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) An American team skippered by Nicole Breault competes in match racing at the Ficker Cup on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) A French team skippered by Maxime Mesnil, left, competes against Peter Wickmire and his Canadien team in round robin match racing at the Ficker Cup on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Winning her Ficker Cup matches 3-2 off the Belmont Pier in Long Beach on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, American skipper Nicole Breault, right, advances to next week’s Congressional Cup, (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) Show Caption1 of 10Winning her Ficker Cup matches 3-2 on Sunday, April. 27, 2025, American skipper Nicole Breault and her crew steered their way into next week’s Congressional Cup, (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer) ExpandThis year’s Ficker Cup, organized by the Long Beach Yacht Club, featured eight top-tier skippers and their crews, according to event chair Ken Mattfeld.
“This year, we have an incredibly talented lineup of sailors for the Ficker Cup” Mattfeld said in a statement. “They are all ranked within the top 30 worldwide so it promises to be a fierce battle to secure the final two spots in the 60th Congressional Cup.”
And while the Ficker Cup did, indeed, provide three days of thrilling match races, Mesnil came out on top, beating Breault in the final. Together, they round out the Congressional Cup field.
The other eight skippers who will compete for the Congressional Cup and the Crimson Blazer bestowed upon the winners are:
Two-time defending champion Chris Poole (USA). 2009 winner Johnie Berntsson (Sweden). Eric Monnin (Switzerland). Rocco Attili (Italy). Dave Hood (United States). Cole Tapper (Australia). Ian Garreta (France). Björn Hansen (Sweden).The Congressional Cup — considered the “granddaddy” of match racing — will run from Wednesday to Sunday, April 30-May 4.
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