The 60th edition of the Congressional Cup in Long Beach, California, is proving every bit the drama-filled spectacle expected of a world-class match racing event. After four days of racing, the stage is now set for the semi-finals—and the path there has been anything but straightforward. When I wake up tomorrow morning, we will know the winner of the 2025 Congressional Cup. At this moment, unless either Tapper or Hood pull something out of the bag either Monnin or Poole look set to take out the competition.
While we wait, let’s recap how we’ve got to this point.
Day 1 recap – The benchmark is set
Defending champion Chris Poole set the tone on the opening day with an impressive 8–1 record through the first round robin. His only stumble came against Switzerland’s Eric Monnin, a perennial podium finisher with his eye on a long-overdue Congressional Cup title. Australia’s Cole Tapper—fresh off a Youth Match Racing World Championship win—also impressed with a 7–2 tally, matching Monnin’s record and showing tactical maturity beyond his years. Long Beach local Dave Hood sat in fourth at 6–3, while Canada’s Peter Wickwire turned heads by upsetting Monnin and Sweden’s Berntsson.
With the double round robin format in play, where every skipper races each other twice, consistency would be key. The second half promised tighter margins and higher stakes, and it delivered from the first gun.
Day 2 – Monnin goes unbeaten, Berntsson roars back
Day two belonged to Chris Poole, Eric Monnin and Johnie Berntsson. Monnin came out firing, knocking off three straight wins—including a statement victory over Poole. It was a display of crisp crew work and seasoned race management, lifting him to second overall at 10–2 behind Poole’s 11–1.
“We had some tight matches and tight situations, but everything went well today,” Monnin noted. “A big credit to the crew. We need to keep the momentum going.”
Berntsson, meanwhile, emerged as the comeback story of the day. After finishing the first round robin in seventh, the Swede found another gear and swept all three of his matches, re-energising his campaign. His form reversal wasn’t just about speed—it was about decision-making under pressure, particularly in close-quarter engagements.
At the same time, Cole Tapper and Dave Hood—both strong out of the gates—struggled. Each managed just one win from three races, with execution and timing slightly off compared to their earlier performances. Tapper in particular looked unsettled, his aggressive starts not translating into control around the course.
Veteran Björn Hansen quietly built his scoreline with two wins from three matches. Not flashy, but steady—typical of the Swede’s pragmatic approach to the game.
By day’s end, the leaderboard remained tight, but the mood had shifted. Monnin was applying real pressure to Poole, Berntsson and Hansen were charging up the table, and the previously solid-looking Tapper and Hood now found themselves needing to regroup to avoid falling out of the semi-final frame.
Day 3 – Final stretch of round robin ignites a battle for fourth
With only two flights left in the double round robin, Friday’s racing was about more than winning races—it was about winning the right ones. The fourth semi-final berth was wide open, and five teams had a realistic shot of claiming it.
Berntsson continued his surge, winning six of seven matches to climb to 9–7. One of those wins was a critical head-to-head over Dave Hood, which not only helped Berntsson’s points tally but gave him the tiebreaker over the local favourite. Hansen matched him on points, also sitting at 9–7, creating a tense tie between the two Swedes.
Chris Poole stayed largely out of the fray, securing his place at the top of the leaderboard with businesslike consistency. He dropped just one race in the second round robin, keeping his overall record sterling and sending a strong message ahead of the knockouts.
Eric Monnin held firm in second with a string of disciplined performances. Though not as dominant as Day 2, he managed his races well and kept mistakes to a minimum. His consistency is exactly what the semi-final format rewards.
The real tension, though, was in the midfield. Tapper, after his Day 2 slump, couldn’t fully recover. He split his final matches and dropped back just enough to fall behind the surging Berntsson and Hansen. Hood’s campaign, once solid, began to fray as key matches slipped through his fingers—including that damaging loss to Berntsson.
By the end of Day 3, the four semi-finalists were effectively decided: Poole, Monnin, Berntsson and Hansen. But there was still racing left, and the final day of round robins had just enough spice to shake things up further.
Day 4 – Final placings locked in, focus turns to the knockouts
Saturday’s racing confirmed what had been building since midweek. Poole closed out the round robin stage with just two losses overall, finishing first and looking every bit the favourite to claim a third consecutive Crimson Blazer. Monnin locked in second, continuing his steady climb to what could be his most promising Congressional Cup campaign yet.
The final two semi-final slots went to the Tapper and Hood. Both had clawed their way back up from the mid-table, surviving mid-champion setbacks and finding rhythm at the right time. Hansen’s veteran experience and Berntsson’s renewed aggression paid off, edging out Tapper and Hood who narrowly missed the cut.
Looking ahead – Semi-finals
So far in the semi-finals Eric Monnin (SUI) is beating Dave Hood (USA) 2-0 with 3 races to go. The same applies to Chris Poole (USA) against Cole Tapper (AUS), with 2-0 going to Chris Poole. Now we wait.
