Aurélien Pierroz added to Congressional Cup Roster
by World Match Racing Tour 31 Mar 07:23 PDT
April 29 - May 3, 2026
Aurelien Pierroz, Match Again by Normandy Elite Team, 2024 World Match Racing Tour Shenzhen © Ian Roman / WMRT
French skipper Aurélien Pierroz has been added to the 2026 Congressional Cup roster, stepping in for nine-time Match Racing World Champion Ian Williams.
Currently ranked fifth in the world by World Sailing, Pierroz sits just behind fellow Frenchman and Congressional Cup invitee Ian Garreta. He is a two-time French Youth Match Racing Champion (2021, 2022) and claimed the Open French Match Racing Championship title in 2023. Among his standout achievements is a third-place finish at the WMRT Final in Shenzhen, the 2025 championship event of the World Match Racing Tour.
This will mark Pierroz's first appearance at the Congressional Cup. However, he is no stranger to Long Beach, the venue, or the Congressional Cup's iconic Catalina 37 fleet. He enters the event as a serious contender, having finished fourth at last year's Ficker Cup and sixth in 2024.
Racing runs April 29 - May 3, 2026. The event is immediately preceded by the Ficker Cup Grade 2 April 24 - 26. The top two finishers of the Ficker Cup will round out the Congressional Cup field.
For more information on Congressional Cup visit thecongressionalcup.com; and wmrt.com for details on the World Match Racing Tour.
2026 Congressional Cup Skippers:
1. Chris Poole, Riptide Racing, USA (World ranking #1)
2. Cole Tapper, Kairos Racing, AUS (World ranking #2)
3. Johnie Berntsson, Berntsson Sailing Team, SWE (World ranking #3)
4. Ian Garreta, Med Racing, FRA (World ranking #4)
5. Aurélien Pierroz, Match Again by NET, FRA (World ranking #5)
6. Eric Monnin, Capvis Swiss Match Racing, SUI (World ranking #7)
7. Christian Prendergast, A Team, USA (World ranking #10)
8. Jeppe Borch, Borch Match Race Team, DEN (World ranking #13)
9. Ficker Cup 1st Place TBC
10. Ficker Cup 2nd Place TBC
World Sailing rankings as of 1 March 2026