2026 Congressional Cup Sails Into Long Beach Soon

LONG BEACH, CA — Get ready to see a whole lot of sailboats dotting the Long Beach coastal horizon over the next few days.

The annual Congressional Cup international regatta, the marquee event of the World Match Racing Tour, returns to Long Beach on April 29.

The event takes place from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. from April 29- May 3 near the Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier, the same location where some of the Olympic sailing events are set to take place in 2028.

For those not familiar with match racing, it's a one-on-one competition between two identical sailboats. Instead of speed, the races focus on strategy, tactics and maneuverability.

The boats are all Catalina 37 yachts, specifically built for the Congressional Cup racing series and were donated back in the 1980s.

"We got them in 1989 from Catalina Yachts, and they're still going; they're in great shape," Congressional Cup Chair Ken Mattfeld told Patch in an exclusive interview.

"Match racing is a different kind of sailboat race," Mattfeld said. " It's just one vote against another. And it's very short, like a two-lap race. They only last maybe 25 minutes."

The few minutes before each race tend to be when the boats jockey for the best starting position.

"It's an absolute dogfight between two boats," he explained. "The action is so intense, we actually have underwater umpires that'll call fouls in real time."

Ten of the world’s best match race skippers and crew are scheduled to participate at the event, some coming to Long Beach from different points around the globe, including defending champion Eric Monnin of Switzerland, who has his wife and son on his team with him.

Mattfeld told Patch that many hundreds of people are each day expected to watch the event, which is free for spectators.

"So, if you walk out on the pier, all the dogfighting is going on in your lap," Mattfeld said.