Long Beach Yacht Club’s Scotty Dickson has won the Ficker Cup for a record-setting 15th time, capping three days of intense international match racing on the Congressional Cup Stadium Course in Long Beach, California.
The Ficker Cup has been contested since 1980, honouring Bill Ficker who helmed Intrepid to victory in the 1970 America’s Cup and won the Congressional Cup in 1974. The phrase “Ficker is Quicker” remains one of match racing’s most enduring expressions.
Dickson set the tone from the opening gun, posting a 6-1 record on day one before finishing the double round robin at 11-3 to take top spot into the knockout rounds. He then swept his way through Sunday’s finals without dropping a race, defeating Sweden’s Theo Westerlind 3-0 in the semi-final before closing out the regatta with another decisive 3-0 win over compatriot Oscar Engström (SWE) in the final.
Engström had reached the final by edging out Christopher Weis (USA) in the other semi, while Weis secured third with a 2-0 win over Westerlind in the petit final. The trophy was presented to Dickson and his crew by Deon McDonald, daughter of Bill Ficker, the legendary yachtsman the event honours.
Tom Camp, Chairman of the Congressional Cup, said: “We are incredibly proud to have one of our own not only qualify, but dominate the Ficker Cup and earn his place in the Congressional Cup. It is something truly special. His performance this week was exceptional, and it reflects the standard of excellence this event, and this club, have represented for decades. He will be a strong contender as he lines up against the world’s best in our flagship event.”
Conditions on the final day were testing. Winds exceeding 20 knots swept through the Belmont Shore course, forcing crews to shift from genoas to jibs early and ultimately put away spinnakers altogether as the breeze continued to build. Despite the challenging conditions, the club’s new mark-set bots performed without fault.
The result earns both Dickson and Engström invitations to the 61st Congressional Cup, beginning April 29 through May 3 at the same venue. The Congressional Cup is the World Match Racing Tour’s championship event and the longest-running match racing event of its kind in North America.
All three days of racing were live streamed with commentary, and the viewing area at the end of Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier drew strong crowds throughout the regatta.
