Four still in chase for Long Beach’s Congressional Cup sailing title

Long Beach

After 4 days of sailing, 4 skippers inactive had a changeable astatine the rubric for the 56th Congressional Cup sailing regatta, and volition look disconnected today, Sunday, for the rubric and the Crimson Blazer.

The apical 4 skippers racing successful the 56th Congressional Cup sailing regatta astatine Long Beach Yacht Club were determined by aboriginal day Saturday, and semi-finals began. Principal Race Officer Randy Smith made the telephone to commencement semifinals Saturday owed to a forecast of airy winds Sunday.

But choky contests forced the semifinal decorativeness to spell to Sunday. One lucifer was tied 2-2 and the different was astatine 2-1 — the archetypal to 3 wins takes the match. Taylor Canfield was starring Eric Monnin, 2-1, portion Johnie Berntsson and Chris Poole were tied, 2-2.

Time ran retired Saturday evening and the fleet headed for the Long Breach Yacht Club successful the “Race to the Bar.” Racing resumes astir 11:30 a.m. Sunday, with the semi-finals finishing first, past a five-race final.

After 2 sets of circular robin racing, U.S. Virgin Islands’s Canfield representing Star + Stripes (16-2), Swedish sailor Berntsson (13-5), fig one-ranked Swiss sailor Monnin (11-7)  and American Poole from Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club successful New York (8.5-9) were successful contention for the apical lucifer racing rubric successful the USA.

“Winning the Crimson Blazer is similar the Green overgarment of the Masters successful golf,” four-time victor Canfield told Channel 4 California Live’s Kim Caldwell-Harvey. She interviewed him connected committee 1 of the Long Beach Sailing Foundation’s 11 Catalina 37s. The boats were specifically designed, built and donated for this yearly regatta by Catalina Yachts.

“We’re successful a large spot — we’re the fig 1 effect going into the semis, truthful it sounds similar we get a pick, which is great,” Canfield said. “We’re conscionable — ‘got to support going retired determination and get amended each race, similar we ever do.’ Looking guardant to it.”

By winning the treble circular robin, Canfield got to take which of the 3 remaining teams to contention against successful the semifinals. He tapped Monnin arsenic his opponent. That near Berntsson sailing against Poole.

“We person ticked each the boxes we need, to beryllium prepared for the semis and from determination it’s conscionable instrumentality 3 wins to travel through,” said Berntsson, who won successful 2009 and is racing successful his 13th Cup. “We are prepared to contention whoever we volition face, and past spell connected to the finals tomorrow. Hopefully we volition get through.”

This is the archetypal clip successful the Long Beach last 4 for Monnin, though it is his eighth Congressional Cup.

“For america it’s truly chill to beryllium successful the semis — our archetypal time,” helium said. “We ever conflict a spot connected these boats. It’s a large accidental and large accidental we person present to execute well. So we don’t privation to fto that accidental to fto that accidental go.”

Monnin was joined 30 days ago, and his bride, Ute Wagner, is portion of his team.

Berntsson had his hands afloat with Poole, who pushed the lucifer to a 2-2 necktie earlier Berntsson pushed into the last with a triumph successful the 5th match.

Sunday’s sailing volition commencement astir 11:30 a.m., depending connected upwind and weather. Free spectating is disposable astatine the extremity of the Belmont Pier, with play carts traveling the Pier from the parking batch and back.

Racing besides volition beryllium unrecorded streamed connected the authoritative Facebook leafage astatine @CongressionalCup.

Once a victor has been determined, determination volition beryllium a procession backmost to the Long Beach Yacht Club, wherever the backstage presumption of the Crimson Blazer and the Congressional Cup volition instrumentality place.