Cole Tapper has pulled off one of the most remarkable results of the 61st Congressional Cup, coming back from 2-0 down to defeat round-robin leader Chris Poole 3-2 in the semi-finals at Long Beach Yacht Club.
Poole, who had dominated the qualifying stages with a commanding 17-1 record, took the opening two races to put the Australian firmly on the back foot. It was a familiar position for the American, who had barely been tested through eighteen races of the double round robin. But Tapper and his Kairos Racing crew refused to fold, winning three races in a row to claim the match and book their place in the final.
The result was all the more striking given the gulf between the two skippers in the standings. Tapper had qualified fourth with a 10-8 record, while Poole had gone through the round robin losing just once. That one defeat had come against Johnie Berntsson, who found himself on the wrong end of an equally dramatic reversal in Semi-Final 1.
Berntsson had surged to a 2-0 lead against Switzerland’s Eric Monnin, only for the defending champion to respond in identical fashion to Tapper, winning three straight races to advance 3-2. It was a remarkable afternoon that saw both semi-final leaders squander commanding leads on the same day.
Monnin and Tapper will now meet in the final, a match-up that seemed unlikely when both trailed 2-0 earlier in the day. The petit-final between Poole and Berntsson will also be contested at Belmont Pier, where spectator entry remains free at the Congressional Cup Stadium.
Boating New Zealand Insert
Semi-final results — 61st Congressional Cup
Long Beach Yacht Club • May 3, 2026
Semi-Final 1
| Sailor | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Monnin SUI | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Johnie Berntsson SWE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Semi-Final 2
| Sailor | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Tapper AUS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Chris Poole USA | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Semi-final results • Source: MatchRacingResults.com
