62nd Congressional Cup dates set with New Zealand's Josh Hyde awarded first invitation
by WMRT 13 Sep 11:15 PDT
April 28 - May 2, 2027
Cole Tapper (centre in Crimson Blazer) wins 61stCongressional Cup with crew Jack Frewin, Max Brennan, George Richardson, Hamish Vass and Nathan Guliksen © Ian Roman / WMRT
The Long Beach Yacht Club has posted the Notice of Race for the 62nd Congressional Cup, from April 28 - May 2, 2027.
The event will be preceded by the Ficker Cup, a World Sailing Grade 2 event, with racing from April 23 - 25, 2027, which will award its top two finishers invitations to the Congressional Cup. Both events are scheduled as part of the 2027 World Match Racing Tour season, with the full Tour schedule to be announced in the coming months.
Congressional Cup 2027 Chair Tom Camp awarded the first invitation to the 62nd Congressional Cup to Josh Hyde (NZL), currently ranked No. 15 in the World Sailing Open Match Racing Rankings. Representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron with Waitemata Racing, Hyde earned the invitation as the leading skipper in the 2026 US Grand Slam Series, a four-event World Sailing Grade 2 series held in Chicago, Detroit, and Oyster Bay, New York concluding September 4 at Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club.
Hyde has enjoyed a breakout 2026 season, winning the Chicago Grand Slam for his first senior international match racing title, finishing fourth at the Detroit Cup and second at the Oakcliff International. The young New Zealander also brings an impressive youth match racing résumé, including three consecutive Youth International Match Racing Cup titles and back-to-back Hardy Cup victories.
Interested skippers are encouraged to submit a request for an invitation using the forms found on the notice boards for each regatta.
Founded by the Long Beach Yacht Club in 1965, the Congressional Cup helped shape modern match racing, pioneering on-the-water umpiring that is now used at match racing events around the world. A founding event of the World Match Racing Tour in 2000, the Congressional Cup is widely regarded as the 'granddaddy' of modern world-class match racing, and the only World Sailing Grade WC event in North America on the World Match Racing Tour.
The Congressional Cup has become an iconic match racing event which every professional match racing skipper strives to win in their career, not least for the honor of being awarded the famous Crimson Blazer, akin to The Masters Green Jacket in professional golf. Past Congressional Cup winners include, Olympic and America's Cup sailors such as Ted Turner (USA), Dennis Conner (USA), Rod Davis (NZL), Harold Cudmore (GBR), Peter Gilmour (AUS), Chris Dickson (NZL), Terry Hutchinson (USA), Gavin Brady (NZL), Dean Barker (NZL), Francesco Bruni (ITA), Taylor Canfield (USA), Johnie Berntsson (SWE), Ian Williams (GBR), Chris Poole (USA) and Eric Monnin (SUI).
The event is also uniquely hosted by a legion of 300 volunteer members of The Long Beach Yacht Club that enjoy welcoming international teams to Long Beach each year for the three-day Ficker Cup and five-day Congressional Cup each sailed in the fleet of Catalina 37 yachts in front of Belmont Pier for spectators to enjoy the action.
For more information on the Congressional Cup visit thecongressionalcup.com; and wmrt.com for details on the World Match Racing Tour.